


Dragon Pact

by godsofancientpast



Series: Silent War Series [3]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Complete AU, Contracts, Dragons, Duelist Spellcasters, Gen, Magic AU, Magical Contracts, Monsters are Real, Slow Burn, Summoning Monsters, duels
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-14
Updated: 2016-11-14
Packaged: 2018-08-31 02:08:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 159,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8559232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/godsofancientpast/pseuds/godsofancientpast
Summary: Yusei lives in a world where magic is common and a part of everyday life. So are Duel Spirits, and since Ancient Times these Spirits and people have combined their powers to fight against evil in its every from. Yusei meets a strange dragon fighting an evil creature and makes a pact with her, finding himself in one of these ancient wars. Duel Academy was never ready for this.Also can be found on Fanfiction.net





	1. The Girl With White Hair

**Author's Note:**

> I got bored and decided to start writing this story. I'm probably going to change the way some characters look (because I apparently have some way of doing that in nearly every story I write) but I feel like this story could be fun to write.  
> Basically magic and monsters exist near people, and though it's set in the basic world of 5D's with the (sort of) same storyline as the series it's kind of an AU as well.  
> Sorry for the random cliff hanger, but we'll get to know more in the next Chapter. This story feels a little unpolished now, but I have plans for this, don't worry about that. Next chapter will have the first battle in the story as well as what this creature is, and why Yusei is so scared of it. I'm going to take this story slower than I have some of my others, so you'll have to be patient for me. Dont worry though, the story will get better soon.

Yusei slid out from under the motorcycle he had been working on and sat up, wiping away the sweat and grime from sitting under it for several hours. He liked helping people, and he was good at working with the mechanical parts he did. He was rather handy when it game to things that needed to be fixing, and people came to look for his help all the time. He stood and let out a sigh as he walked to the front of the plain white Police bike and started it. The loud roar of the engine soon told him that he had successfully fixed it.

The owner of the bike, a tall man with wide shoulders, short blonde hair and dark green eyes came in, smiling at him. His uniform definitely belonged to the Police of the Satellite district, but it was slightly unbuttoned since it was so hot outside. Yusei usually wore a long jacket and gloves, but today he just had on his boots and pants, and the black tank top he had set back when it was too hot to work with his jacket and gloves on.

The officer smiled at him, though the young woman who followed close behind didn't. She had long black hair that was pulled back into a pony tail and distrustful amber eyes. Her uniform was buttoned completely up though it was hot outside. Yusei was also careful not to look too long at her. She didn't seem to like him, and she wouldn't tolerate that. He hardly glanced at her.

The woman's eyes never left the young man. He was sixteen and about average height for his age. He was thin but had some muscle on him, evident from his long hours spent fixing various things and lifting the heavy equipment. His hair was black and shaped oddly into something that resembled a crab, with yellow streaks running through it. His eyes were blue, and though they were kind they were hardened. Growing up in the Satellite wasn't easy on anyone, and he was no exception.

“Fixed it up?” the man, a familiar officer in the Satellite named Liam, asked. “It hasn't been running right the last few weeks. I knew you'd be able to fix it. People say you can fix anything.”

“Maybe not anything,” Yusei replied, giving him a slight smile. This only seemed to aggravate the woman, a girl only a little older than him and called Theresa.

“I don't get why you're so kind to this kid,” Theresa said, crossing her arms. “This is the Satellite. You can't trust anyone around here.”

Yusei elected to ignore her as he walked over to the table where he kept all of his tools to put down the ones that he had been holding in his hand and tool belt. He then unfastened it and put it down on the table as well. He began to try and wipe away a little of the grime and grease from his hands. Liam turned to Theresa now and started whispering to her. Yusei could clearly hear it, but pretended he couldn't for their sakes.

“Leave the kid alone Theresa,” Liam said quietly. “He's been through hell. You see what it's like here. It's not exactly the nicest place to live.”

“Exactly why we can't trust him,” she growled quietly as well. “This place isn't safe.” Liam sighed at little and shook his head.

“Yusei's got powerful magic,” he said. “In fact, he's part of the reason the Satellite is as safe as it is now. He helped us out big time.”

Yusei put the towel down and glanced at a picture frame on the back of the table. There were four people in it, his old friends. How long had it been since they had seen each other? They'd certainly went their separate ways, and some farther than others. The shortest in the picture was a boy named Crow, with orange hair pulled up behind a blue bandana and green eyes, though he didn't have the marks on his face from the jailors. Beside him was Yusei, and behind him were the two taller members, Jack and Kiryu.

Jack was the tallest, and about a year older than Yusei though the others were the same age. Jack was tall and already well muscled in this picture, though he had paler skin like Kiryu and Crow. Yusei had darker skin than all of them, though not much darker. Jack had blonde hair spiked up in the back almost like a crown and blue eyes. Then there was Kiryu, who had light hair, light purple color in this picture, and he had brown eyes.

They had been what was known as Team Satisfaction. They had banded together because they had all been raised together, and you had to learn to trust your friends. Besides, they all had powerful magic, which was a staple in this world. They had decided to make the Satellite a better place to live for everyone, since it seemed like the City had abandoned them. So together they had destroyed the gangs and criminal factions in Satellite.

The Police could handle things from there, and though it was much more peaceful here now, Yusei felt it was a bitter sweet victory. They had made the Satellite better for everyone, but they had lost a great friend. Kiryu, who had been their leader, had suddenly started acting strangely, and not even his partner could get him to calm down. Kiryu had tried to get them to attack the Police as well, saying they were obstacles to them. Besides being suicidal, it was also wrong. The Police wanted peace as well, because they warmed up to the people of the Satellite eventually.

Yusei had no choice but to turn him in, and he really wasn't happy about it. But he couldn't understand why his friend had changed so much. Yusei paused a moment, realizing that Liam was now telling the same story, more or less, to Theresa. The boy sighed and looked out the window, watching as children played in the streets outside with their Duel Spirit Partners who were in their human forms. They were always playing around outside, because their parents and Partners felt they were safe around him. Yusei didn't have a Duel Spirit Partner, but he had powerful magic.

Magic and Duel Spirits were common here, and magic was used to help create things or do things that might seem impossible otherwise. Some people, like Team Satisfaction had started out as, used their powers to fight and help people. The members, though the Team had disbanded, were popular and pretty much as famous as someone could get around the Satellite, even spoken of in the City. Not that Yusei cared much. He wasn't the type to be overly proud.

Team Satisfaction was gone. Kiryu was sentenced to prison for life since he had nearly killed three people, him and his dragon partner named Sentinel. Crow had gotten caught (finally) and was also in prison, though he'd be released soon. The guards went easy on him. He was the best thief in the Satellite but only stole to make the kids happy, so they weren't too hard on him. Besides he was a good kid, if a little mischievous. Yusei was here, fixing things for no charge when people brought them to him. Then there was Jack.

Jack was the only other one in their group who had a Partner, at least when they had last met. It was possible that Yusei and Crow would also meet Duel Spirits who would want to become their Partners and strike a contract with them, but it also might never happen. But Jack had a dragon as well, a large and fiery creature named Blaze. The two were powerful, and since they were both fire magic users they fit well together.

Jack and Blaze had been instantly noticed by Seto Kaiba, a man who had basically helped make the world as it was today. He was one of the Big Three, who had created the Duel Academy, where people like Jack were taken. It had been created to protect the weak, so of course Jack with his powers had been snatched right up. Crow had preferred to stay here, and Yusei didn't feel he was needed anywhere else.

“This kid was part of Team Satisfaction?” Theresa scoffed loudly, returning Yusei's mind to the present again. He turned to look.

“That's right,” he replied simply.

“Oh really?” she asked, eying him suspiciously. “Which one are you then? What magic do you use?”

“I use Wind Magic,” Yusei replied. “I suppose I'm pretty powerful, but it's not like I was the most powerful. That would probably be Jack or Kiryu.”

Theresa crossed her arms and glared at him, obviously not believing him one bit. Yusei wasn't really that moved by the fact that she was looking at him that way. The new officers usually did until they mellowed out towards the people of the Satellite. She was no exception, and it was mostly what he expected.

But seeing that they were getting no where, Liam stepped forward. He gave Yusei an apologetic smile and laid his hand on her shoulder. She glared at him too, obviously thinking he was siding with him. But Yusei gave a smile back and turned back to his table, sitting at the stool at the front of it. He knew the drill by now.

“Sorry,” Liam said. “I know you're busy. Thanks for fixing the bike, but we should be getting back to Head Quarters. Make sure you don't get into trouble, not like Crow at least.” He gave Yusei a wink then, making Yusei smile a little more.

“I'm not quite that adventurous,” Yusei replied.

With that Liam excused himself and his female partner. Then he took his bike and quickly left before Theresa could somehow manage to offend Yusei. He knew Yusei was generally a very kind and patient person, but everyone had a breaking point. The two were soon outside, Theresa muttering the whole way. Yusei sighed again, looking towards the clear sky.

He was sixteen, but it seemed like he was a lot older. He felt older. But then again, many people his age seemed that way, in the City and out. It had to do with a disaster that had first split the Satellite off from the City in the first place. It had been called the Zero Reverse, a giant meltdown to a Reactor meant to safely give fuel to the city in an environmentally friendly way. Somehow or other it had overloaded and had caused an explosion that had nearly taken out New Domino City, which was now again one of the capitals of the world.

Many people his age or just younger had lost their parents and families in that explosion. They were a generation of Orphans, and in the aftermath of the explosion their worlds had changed. Yusei had been an infant during that incident, and the fact that he had survived when he had (apparently) been so close to the explosion in the fist place seemed like a miracle. Team Satisfaction had been made of Orphans, and other such groups existed.

Basically their whole world had changed because of the Zero Reverse, and that had made the Satellite what it was. The City seemed to send no help though, and no one was allowed to leave unless they got clearance from the City. It was lonely, and the Satellite was small. The old site of the Reactor was here too, and people stayed away from it. But there was an air of distrust between the City and the Satellite because of this.

“Yusei,” a child's voice cried as several young children ran in.

He looked up as three children dashed over to him, carrying something. They were followed by a young boy wearing a black hoodie with the hood down, black hair and ruby red eyes. Yusei recognized him as Dark, the Partner to one of the children who had run in. He looked up at Yusei and looked very ashamed about something. But Yusei soon found out what.

It was one of their toys that the children gave to him, a small helicopter that was motorized and could be flown around. He had built it from them out of spare parts, and it looked like it had been crashed into something. It was torn apart pretty well.

“Dark hit it,” one of the kids said.

“He didn't mean to,” a small girl cried in defense of her Partner. “He was just playing. He said sorry.”

“Yeah well,” a boy said angrily. “No one but you can hear the voice of your Partner. You would say that!”

“Calm down,” Yusei said gently but firmly. “And tell me what happened.” The boy pointed an accusing finger at Dark, who lowered his head.

“Dark changed into his true form and he hit it with his claws,” the boy said. “He flew too close to it.” Yusei nodded, knowing that Dark was a Red Eyes Black Dragon, a rare, but not too uncommon Duel Spirit. They were a plentiful race, but generally shy.

“You know he didn't mean it,” Yusei said. “He just wanted to play with you guys too. Besides he's small. If he did fly too close there was a reason.”

“Dark said he thought he saw something,” his human Partner suddenly cried. “He was nervous because he sensed another more powerful dragon.”

This made Yusei pause a little in surprise and look at Dark. The Duel Spirit nodded to tell him that there was indeed something he had noticed. Yusei suddenly wondered why there was another dragon around here, and a powerful one at that. Duel Spirits, and especially dragons weren't ones to make things like this up. They were powerful magical beings, and generally neutral beings. So why was there one near here? They usually didn't appear often, and having one appear so close was not very comforting to say the least.

“You don't believe that do you, Yusei?” the boy asked.

“I do,” Yusei replied. “I've been around far too many dragons to think he could be making this up so he wouldn’t get in trouble. They don't lie, it's not in their natures.”

Yusei turned to look out the window again. Another dragon? He wasn't sure what it was doing here, but he knew there had to be a reason. He noticed it was getting pretty late, and he felt rather worried suddenly. He turned again to the children.

“Don't worry,” Yusei said. “I'll fix it for you. But it's getting late. Why don't you all go home now and I'll have it fixed for you by noon? Deal?”

The children seemed far more cheered up by this and agreed readily. Yusei was like a big brother to them, so they ran off to go home like he had asked, knowing he'd keep his promise to them. Yusei did notice Dark glance back at him once though before following his Partner away.

Once they were out of sight Yusei quickly grabbed his jacket and gloves, putting them on and quickly heading out the door. He had to see what was going on. He wasn't sure why there was a dragon nearby, and he knew it was unusual. Dragons came from the Spirit Realm very rarely, making them rare to have as Partners as it went among the different species of Duel Spirits. The most common to appear would be Red Eyes Black Dragons and Blue Eyes White Dragons, though as Joey Wheeler and Seto Kaiba proved, they could be used very effectively.

Dragons coming to their world was rare, which was why it was surprising that both Jack and Kiryu had gotten such rare dragon Partners. So to hear there was a powerful dragon around now could be interesting to say the least. At the same time though, it could be dangerous. They were neutral beings, but they could bring other things with them. Besides, Yusei had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach now, something telling him that there was something wrong.

He locked the door behind him and then ran out down the street, going in the direction he had seen the children run off in earlier. He didn't really know where he was going, or even really why. He just knew that he had to go that way. Something was happening and he had to see what. He dodged around debris that constantly filled the streets of the Satellite, though this street was cleaner of it than some, and continued on his way.

Yusei at first had no direction to travel in, he was simply following a path the children might have taken while playing. However soon he felt energy, and he paused. It was obviously magic. He had no formal training with it, but he had been forced to train himself to become powerful on these streets, and he could recognize the signs of magic being used now. Most people couldn't sense it because magic seemed so normal to them after thousands of years of use, but Yusei could.

He changed course to find the source of it, leaping over the blasted debris and continuing on. The road became less and less traveled and cleaned. He was heading in a direction where there weren't many people, and he was a little glad for that. He wasn't sure why there was magic being used, but it's not like he could ignore it either. He had been protecting the Satellite for too long to do that.

He neared the place where he had sensed the magic being used and was nearly knocked off his feet by another blast of it. He shielded his eyes from the blast and then looked up quickly, spotting a girl there. He realized she was using Wind Magic. It was very similar to his own, which is mostly what surprised him so much.

The girl was slightly shorter than him, though she was average height for her age, which appeared to be about the same as his. She had short white hair, parted to the left over her face and cut even shorter in the back into a pixie cut. She wore a blue long sleeved shirt even though it was still pretty hot, and a simple and short white poncho over it. She had a short white skirt with blue leggings underneath and white boots. He found it was a little surprising that everything matched so much, and he wondered why that was. She also had large blue hooped earrings, and she had pale skin.

She was obviously the one casting the wind spells, since her hands were up and she was watching for something. She seemed to not see whatever she was looking for though, and then suddenly noted his presence. She looked over to him, and he was surprised to see that her eyes were a bright amber color with slits in the middle, very cat like in appearance. Her eyes widened when she saw him and her mouth parted a little. She looked almost horrified.

But then to Yusei's surprise she quickly ran towards him. She grabbed his arm when she reached him and met his eyes, giving him a rather fierce look and a warning one. He realized she was a Duel Spirit because of her eyes, and since she wasn't talking to him. She might look human, but he knew she wasn't. He paused as he looked at her.

“What's going on?” he asked, lowering his voice though he wasn't sure why.

She made no attempt to explain and instead whirled around. A slight snarl appeared on her face and she stepped in front of him, holding out an arm as if to keep him behind her and protect him. He wasn't sure what had gained her attention in such a negative way, but he wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

He of course soon found out though. She tensed and let out a low growl, making him shudder a little at the sound. He'd found his mysterious dragon, of that he was fairly sure. But why was she so nervous? She shoved him farther back, and something in the shadows shifted. A dark form stood up out of the shadows, and Yusei's eyes widened in horror when he realized what it was. What was one of those things doing here?

He wasn't sure, but he knew that he couldn't let it get past him either. He had to stop it here or the Satellite would be in danger. And he wasn't about to let that happen.


	2. Caring Nature

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are with chapter two. I'm having some issues with some inspiration for my other stories so I started this one. Besides I've always loved and been fascinated by dragons, making 5D's one of my favorite Yugioh series ever! I just love it because of all of the dragons!  
> Anyway, I'll continue the story now (even if it did start a little shakily) because I do have ideas where I want this to go. It also make take a while to actually get to Duel Academy, but Yusei will get there. I'll also be involving Joey, Kaiba, and of course Yugi himself. They'll be older than normal and it won't exactly follow the exact storyline of Yugioh because it is an AU. But I hope you enjoy none the less.   
> Also as for “incantations”, they're more or less words that describe what's going on. There's no rhyming spells. I felt that would be too silly.  
> Also everyone feel free to leave reviews below if you like it. Thanks a lot for your support!

Don't get in trouble. That's what Liam had said right? Well that hadn't exactly happened. He was honestly quite terrified, facing something that was pretty much the stuff of legends, and the only thing standing between him and it was a dragon. Even if she was a powerful Duel Spirit she couldn't face this thing alone, and he couldn't let it get past him or it would go on a rampage through the Satellite. Besides, it wouldn't leave until he was dead.

This was a Shadow Spirit, a creature that came out of the Shadow Realm, which was the mirror opposite of the Spirit Realm. Duel Spirits mostly came from the Spirit Realm, and it was a peaceful place. Dark and evil things came from the Shadow Realm. This creature was a large creature on four legs with no definite shape. It appeared to be little more than a misty shape with glowing green eyes. And creatures like this thing only wanted to kill until they were destroyed. And now that it had spotted Yusei, its eyes were locked on him.

Running wasn't really an option. This thing had to be killed and fast, or he was going to die. The girl seemed determined to protect him though, and she continued to growl louder. It sounded like her dragon form, and it was loud and deep. She had to be huge, or else she couldn't make that kind of sound. This only seemed to agitate the Shadow Spirit more though.

There seemed to be silence suddenly except for the low and warning growl of the dragon and his own heartbeat. The creature seemed to be sizing the two of them up, then it backed up a few steps and crouched. Yusei realized it was going to leap at them. They both looked small enough, definitely small enough for it to crush them. It was going to take that chance. But the girl tensed too. Yusei forced his racing heart to calm and wracked his brain for a spell that could help him. Nothing much came to mind. It wasn't like he was trained for this. But he didn't have time to wonder.

The creature leaped and the girl leaped to intercept it, snarling loudly and casting a spell. Unlike humans, Spirits didn't have to use incantations to use spells, since they were already very magical creatures. Few had spells powerful enough to fight with, but she was the exception to that rule. She was a dragon after all. The wind generated by her spell caught the creature off guard and it slowed. Yusei just reacted, raising his own hands.

“Giving speed to those who fly in its wake,” Yusei said. “and giving strength to the wings that fly along it. Tail Wind!”

Yusei felt a familiar drop in his strength as he summoned the magic. It wasn't a destructive spell, considering the only ally he had at the moment was between him and his target. Instead the spell he used gave her own spell power. He'd used it before to help give speed to Blaze and Sentinel when they were flying, but now it was different. They both used Wind Magic, so the strong wind he created gave power to her own spell. The wind collided forcefully and combined.

The girl was surprised for a moment and glanced back at him. He understood why. It must have been really odd to find a human that used the same kind of magic as she did, let alone used such powerful magic. She knew though that she needed the help and nodded her thanks. Then she pushed back harder. They succeeded in sending the creature flying, and she retreated near him again. Both released their spells. It would do them no good to tire themselves out.

The creature of course was not amused by this and let out an enraged roar. Yusei winced a little, knowing that nearly everyone in the Satellite would hear that, and the Police certainly would. They would know it wasn't something good and probably come to investigate. He tapped the girl's shoulder, and she glanced once to tell him she was looking.

“We have to kill it quickly,” he said. “If more people show up then they'll be in danger too.”

She nodded to tell him that she understood as well and let out another growl as the creature, still giving out angry cries, dug itself out of the rubble and turned to face them. Its eyes were flaming now and it let out roar, leaping right towards them again. Yusei raised his hands again and summoned yet another spell. The girl instantly raised her own hands to do the same.

“The force that bends nature and twists it to its will,” Yusei said. “A destructive force that destroys what man creates and nature alike. Hurricane’s Winds!”

This time he was aiming to hurt it, and he stepped just in front of her so he wouldn't hit her with his attack. The wind that he created tore up parts of the street and threw them at the creature, whose charge was no halted just a little. It struggled against the wind that both of them created, but this time it wasn't surprised like before. It didn't fly back like before and waited until the wind would ebb.

The debris that was thrown cut it and bashed into it, only fueling its rage. Yusei realized with dread why sometimes teams of four or five died to creatures like this. Was there any way they could even stop something like this? The creature took a single step forward, and Yusei's concentration broke just a little.

That was all it took for the creature to get the space it needed, and it leaped for the attack. Yusei felt terror grip him at the throat as its claws extended towards the two of them. But then the dragon pushed him behind her again, throwing up a defensive spell.

It wasn't enough to stop the beast's assault though, and Yusei screamed as the creature's claws caught part of his chest and right shoulder, shredding it. He slammed into the ground, his mind reeling from the pain. Suddenly facts started coming to his mind, and he wished he wasn't such a book worm. He might not have been so terrified if he wasn't.

He knew that the claws of Shadow Spirits were poisonous to humans, and if it wasn't treated quickly it would prove deadly. He also knew that one this size had enough poison to kill him in a few minutes. However he forced himself to turn over and try to get up. They didn't have time for him to just sit here. Even if it killed him, he was going to protect everyone else. A hand on his shoulder quickly stopped him though.

The girl turned him right back over and looked at the wound. She had wounds too from that attack, but that was little more than a bleeding wound to her. His wounds could very well kill him and soon. They were painful, and he could feel the poison spreading through his body and causing it to ache more and more. She laid her hand on the uninjured side of his chest to tell him to be still and put her hands on the wounds.

He yelped but didn't fight her, knowing that if she had the power she might be able to save his life now. He shuddered as a gentle glow appeared around her hands. It appeared to be almost like starlight, silver and beautiful. He felt himself calming as her spell took hold, and the pain seemed to ease a little. He looked instead at the creature.

It was roaring in even more rage now but it had been trapped in a temporary prison. It was a ball of wind that seemed to slice the creature whenever it touched it, but this didn't seem to be discouraging it at all. That prison wasn't going to hold forever.

But the pain eased throughout his body, and though he didn't understand how, he knew that she was drawing the poison from his blood. He wondered about this particular spell for a moment. It was like she had expected something like this to happen. He didn't fight her though as she continued to draw the poison out.

Soon the pain eased until it was only in the deep gashes. The poison was gone. He looked up at her in surprise, wondering what on earth she was doing here and why. She gave him a saddened smile, but her eyes became fierce again as she looked over at the creature that had attacked the boy. A growl began to build up in her throat again as she turned to face it.

Yusei forced his aching body to work and stand, and this time the girl gently helped him to his feet. That prison of hers was about to break, and that creature knew it too. Its eyes were locked on Yusei, and he knew that it was ready to kill him, needing to kill him. They didn't have much time left. The girl though took his injured hand gently in hers though and looked at him.

He met her eyes, and she seemed to be asking him for something. He realized what it was nearly instantly. She had probably just gotten here not much earlier that day, so she didn't have her full power. But she needed to take her true form in order to take this thing on a more level playing field. For that she needed some of his power too. He realized that could be their chance to kill it, and he nodded to her to tell her he agreed.

She smiled at him, a bright a calming smile. It took his breath away for a minute, but then her amber eyes closed and her hand tightened just a little. Silver light encased her as she stepped away, and he shielded his eyes as it grew brighter and he felt his strength drop faster than he'd felt it do before. He closed his eyes, and his knees felt weak suddenly. He shuddered and they gave out.

But he didn't hit the ground. Instead he fell into a large palm, and he opened his eyes in surprise to look up at the creature. The creature was large, though not huge as dragons went. Her hands were big enough to hold most of his body in them, and she had long razor sharp claws though they were gentle now.

She was a beautiful creature, slender but powerful, and she had human like hands with thumbs. Her legs were bowed more like an animal's legs, though she stood on her back legs, which also had huge claws. Her tail was long and thin, and she had three horns on the back of her head and a long nose like formation which reminded him suddenly of a jet liner. She was white and covered in blue gem like formations on her armor. Her wings were thin but huge, and starlight seemed to fall from her wings as she stretched them out a little. Her eyes were like the ones on her human form and a bright amber color as well.

She lowered him gently to the ground, purring gently at him in a reassuring way. He knew it would still be a hard battle, but they had a much better chance now. She was much larger now and might have a chance to fight back now. He stood on his legs when he found the strength again and turned, watching in awe and slight terror as she went from a beautiful and gentle creature to a fierce and powerful one. Her anger however was focused on the Shadow Spirit.

The wind prison broke, and the Shadow Spirit came crashing out of it. But its roar was met with another, more savage one. The dragon reached out with her claws as it reached out with its, and the two clashed violently as they locked claws, their back legs straining for the upper hand. They seemed rather evenly matched, but Yusei knew he had to help or they'd all be dead.

He knew what spell might most easily end this creature's rampage. Looking at it, this thing was also weak. Which meant it also wasn't at full power and might be defeated with a simpler spell. If it was at full strength they would have both been dead by now. He turned and looked through the debris, hoping against hope to find something that would work for what he needed.

He made a mental note to thank whatever gods he could find the names for that he had found something. It might have at one point been a stop sign, but it was now a rusted piece of metal that was sharp at both ends. He raised his hand and pointed at it, knowing that he had one shot with this. He couldn't miss.

“Winds of the north and south,” he said quietly to not alert their enemy to the magic that was being used. “of the east and west I call you. Give me the strength to lift this object.”

The wind wrapped around the object and it lifted gently from the ground. Yusei turned, and it followed his hand, floating in its casing of wind about a foot away from him. He eyed the two fighting creatures. Their roars shook the ground around them, and anytime one of them took a step back or forward he felt it vibrate through the streets beneath him.

He would have to wait for a clear shot, as long as it took. But for his spell to work he needed a sharp object that was longer than his arm. This pole would have to do, as weak as the metal would be. He took a deep breath and concentrated, just hoping that he would hit his mark. This would kill it, but it would weaken it enough that she could kill it.

“Winds that drive the forces of the world,” he said quietly. “give speed to this weapon of mine. Wrap it in fierce gales and send it flying straight. Wind Lance!”

The wind seemed to wrap around the object then, swirling and howling around it just slightly. He knew that if someone were to reach out and try to touch it now, it would shred their hand. He turned it to fly straight at the creature and waited, feeling his strength dropping bit by bit as he did so. But the dragon was still in the way.

He knew he wouldn't be able to hold the spell much longer, but he was going to hold it until he couldn't anymore. He felt his knees start to wobble again as he waited, watching. His hands started to shake too, but he forced himself to hold on. It was literally a matter of life or death here, and he couldn't die, not until he was sure he had done all he could to protect everyone.

The dragon took a step back, and moved her tail to correct against the creature's thrust forward now. Her wings dipped down, and the creature's head was now clearly visible to him, and he knew he could wait no longer. He snarled at let the lance fly.

Both creatures froze in surprise as the metal buried itself into the Shadow Spirit's skull. It didn't fall though. It wasn't like things of this world which could be killed in this way. It had no brain really to speak of, so this couldn't kill the creature that wasn't made of physical substance. However spells could hurt it, and this pole was now in a sense enchanted.

Slowly the Shadow Spirit turned its head to look at Yusei, as if trying to figure out what he had just done. But then the dragon saw the opportunity that he had given her and let out a battle roar. She pushed hard against this creature, forcing it to the ground. Her jaws opened and light began to gather in them as she prepared to use her dragon's breath.

Yusei's legs gave out and he fell, crashing down onto his side. He groaned as his injured side crashed into the ground first, and he didn't try to move. The screams of the dying Shadow Spirit was gone then and he heard feet running towards him quickly.

The dragon had returned to her human form, and she gently lifted him off of his injured side. She seemed to look him over suddenly, ignoring her own injuries. Amber eyes met blue, and she seemed to be staring at him for a long while. He noticed worry in her eyes as she easily lifted him and carried him a few feet back. She set him down so his back was against the broken walls of some sort of building, but he was grateful for it. He felt like he was about to fall again at any moment.

He looked instead at the dead Shadow Spirit. It was obvious what it was because the skeleton was there, still smoking slightly. It was apparently some sort of cat like creature, and dark and evil runes covered its skeleton. Any child could have recognized that this was a Shadow Spirit on sight. He glanced at her and down at himself. They were going to panic with this too. They were both hurt pretty badly.

The girl was still holding onto him, almost like she was scared to let go. She continued to look at him for a moment, then gave him a small smile. She tapped her collar bone and then pointed up. Confused he followed her finger and saw only the few stars that could be seen past New Domino City's light pollution. He stared at the sky above for a while, then looked back at her.

“Star?” he asked. She smiled and nodded, pointing to herself again. “Your name is Star.”

She nodded, her smile widening a little bit. He sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. He closed his eyes a moment. She had told him her name? She had obviously decided to trust him after that last battle. He couldn't really blame her. He felt like he could trust her too. But he wondered why she had told him her name. What was the point of it? What did she want of him?

Star though wasn't going anywhere and moved to side on his uninjured side. She curled up against him, and he paused as he felt her thin human body against his. She seemed rather friendly towards him too. He found himself thinking back to when Jack had met Blaze. He had been surprised because Blaze had seemed to take almost an instant liking to him too.

Most Duel Spirits were shy and nervous, and it took months to years for them to warm up to a human, even after a battle like this. Yet Star had taken an instant liking to him. He realized that she seemed to have a very caring nature too. Why had she decided to protect a bunch of humans she didn't know? Why was she staying here with just this one? He felt his head hurting from all the questions buzzing around it.

There was silence for a while, and then Star started to purr very quietly. He hardly heard the sound, but when he did he felt himself relaxing. It was as if his mind had accepted what his body had not. He finally accepted that the danger had passed and for now at least he was going to be alright. He didn't know why, but he felt safe with her right next to him.

He couldn't find the strength for a while to open his eyes, but he soon heard someone running closer. The Police? He supposed they had finally shown up after all. He wondered who would have been close enough to find them so quickly, but his question was soon answered as he heard a woman gasp and a familiar voice cry out.

“Yusei,” he heard Liam cry.

The man sounded terrified, and Yusei could understand why. They'd heard the commotion and all the roaring and had shown up to see the corpse of a Shadow Spirit. Then near that they had seen Yusei and the girl they didn't know hurt by the creature's claws which were obviously poisonous. Not everyone knew that, but the Police were bound to know.

They both ran right to the pair sitting on the ground, and he felt Star's arms tighten around his nervously. Yusei forced his eyes to open and found Liam and Theresa's horrified faces looking back at him. Liam quickly pulled out a first aid kit he'd brought with him and started trying to patch him up as well as he could. Blood soon stained the cloth, and Yusei felt tired. Theresa grabbed his hand when he stirred a little in pain, trying to reassure him.

“It's okay,” she shushed him gently. “It's okay.”

He forced himself to be as still as he could, knowing she was unsure what to do. She'd never really been trained to deal with someone still living after a Shadow Spirit attack. By all rights he should have been dead by now. Liam knew this well and didn't seem to know what to say. He tried to look at Star's wounds too but she hissed at him, making him jump back a bit at the deep sound.

“Wh-What happened?” he asked Yusei, hoping to keep him awake.

“The creature attacked,” Yusei managed. “I found her here fighting it. We both got...injured trying to stop it. I think she drew the poison out. But she had to take her true form to beat it and she was too weak...I think that tired me out. We managed to kill it. It was still weak.”

Liam was absolutely astounded as he looked at the two. It wasn't a full account by any means, but he could piece some of it together, seeing as there was a pole buried in the creature's skull and Star was clinging to Yusei's arm so tightly. But even with there being no poison in Yusei's system, he knew he was still badly hurt. He looked at Star.

“We have to move him,” he told her. “He needs someone to look at his wounds, and yours too. You two were very lucky to have even survived. I don't know how strong you are, but thank you. Yusei is important to a lot of people here. Now please, let me carry him, and come with us.”

Star watched him for a long moment sizing him up. But the pure surprise and worry on his face assured her that she meant Yusei no harm. Besides, she knew he was right. The boy needed help, and she wasn't doing so good herself. She nodded and released Yusei's arm. Liam instantly shifted Yusei and lifted him as gently as he could, picking him up in his arms.

Pain seared through Yusei's body suddenly, and he gasped. But his poor beaten body had taken enough and he fell unconscious. The boy went limp in Liam's arms and he gave a quiet curse when he realized the boy had passed out. He hoped they'd made it in time to help him. Theresa released Yusei's hand and turned instead to Star, too startled to do anything else. She held out her hand, and Star reluctantly took it. She didn't really care where she went as long as she could keep an eye on Yusei.

“What should we do?” Theresa asked nervously.

“We have to take him to Martha and her hospital,” Liam replied. “They're the only ones who can have a hope to helping them now. There's no hospital in the Satellite.”

This information horrified Theresa as she followed Liam towards the car they had taken down through here, built for these uneven streets. She had said some pretty bad things and expressed a different opinion of the Satellite earlier, but Yusei was still human, and a kid at that. She didn't want him to die. He had risked everything to help all of them. Then there was this strange Duel Spirit behind her. She was sure she'd heard that he didn't have a partner earlier today. Then who was she and why was she so interested in Yusei?

She wasn't sure but she didn't have time to question it. There was only a little amount of time that Yusei had, and she wasn't going to waste it trying to figure out why things were happening. For now she'd have to be satisfied knowing that they were happening. The fact these two had survived at all, even against a weak Shadow Spirit, was a miracle. And she wasn't going to let Yusei die because she was too slow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw look who warmed up to him. Don't worry, Yusei of course won't die because of this attack, though he will have some pretty nasty scars. There won't be much more action until later, because there will probably be a few chapters where he's healing and getting to know Star better.   
> Hm I wonder what Star could be? And I wonder what's going to happen between her and Yusei? I mean it's not like any of you saw THAT coming right? (The sarcasm is real). Anyway, I hope you guys like the story so far! It will get better.


	3. Contract

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story itself started kind of quickly and pretty much instantly threw Yusei into the chaos that will start unfolding around him. Oh and it's of course going to get worse. Yusei will be meeting Yugi Moto at one point, and Jaden will be involved as well. Since this is an AU I'll be changing their back stories and battles a little as well, so that it makes more sense with this particular fan fiction.   
> Anyway, please enjoy and have fun. Leave a review if you feel like it, and criticism is welcome.

Yusei felt his body stir before his mind was fully engaged in the situation around him. He was however aware of the pain he felt lancing up his right side, which was his injured side. He felt a calm hand lay on his left shoulder and he forced himself to relax, remembering what had happened last night. Or, at least he thought it was last night. He wasn't too sure. He opened his eyes instead and stared at the ceiling a moment, only feeling -once again- that he had been lucky.

A pair of amber eyes leaned over him slightly and peered down at him. Seeing him awake and aware, Star smiled brightly and began to purr to him gently. He managed to give her a small smile in return. He wasn't sure why she was still hanging around him, but he wasn't complaining. She had saved his life yesterday, and helped saved the lives of everyone in the Satellite.

Star was sitting in a chair beside the bed, and it looked like her wounds had practically disappeared by now. Unlike humans her reception to magic was high, so some healing spells did wonders to her. Yusei on the other hand would take a lot longer to patch up than she would. Still, if someone had powerful enough healing magic that time could be cut nearly completely in half.

Yusei studied the room around him. The bed was simple and clean and the room was small. It was also clean and the only other furniture in the room was the chair that had been brought in for Star. There was a window, showing that the sun was shining brightly here. He could see the battered and broken buildings of the Satellite skyline outside, and he at once recognized the place. He had practically been raised here after all, along with a few other orphans. It was the closest thing that the Satellite had to a hospital, and it was also a safe house for the orphaned children of the Satellite.

As if sensing the train of thought, the door opened and two people stepped in. One was a woman, a short and plump little woman with smiling eyes. Her hair was down past her shoulders a little and black, and her eyes were brown. Her skin too was dark, speaking of a race that had somehow ended up in New Domino City. She had been like a mother to Yusei, and upon seeing his eyes open, she hurried over to him with worry in her eyes. Star's purring stopped.

The second person was a man. He was tall and thin, and he appeared to be an older man. His hair was gray and his eyes were serious and also gray. He did smile a little though when he saw Yusei awake, and at Martha's display as she began to scold the boy. He had the best healing magic in the Satellite, and though he was a doctor from the City, he had opted to stay here where it was more needed. The people of Satellite loved him for it.

“Yusei Fudo what were you thinking?” Martha demanded as she reached Yusei's side. Star looked a little surprised and Yusei bowed his head a little to avoid looking at Martha directly. “You could have died! And what would I have done then? I thought you had more sense than that!”

“Well,” Yusei replied quietly. “I wasn't thinking of much. I think I was panicking a little too much for that.” Martha huffed and crossed her arms.

“I can see that,” she said. “Only two of you facing a monster like that. You were very, very lucky young man. If this girl hadn't known magic to remove the poison you would have been dead.”

“I know I was lucky,” Yusei sighed. “Especially that Star and I used the same kind of magic.” At this Martha paused and looked at him in confusion.

“Star?” she asked. Yusei nodded and pointed to the girl, who smiled and waved.

“This is Star,” he replied. “She's a dragon that uses Wind Magic. But I've never seen a dragon like her before, let alone heard of one like it.”

At this point Martha paused, looking at the boy. She had been surprised at an eerily similar circumstance before. When Jack had first met Blaze he had been attacked by something. They weren't entirely sure what it was, but they were fairly certain that it had been a monster from the Shadow Realm as well, a Duel Spirit of darkness. He had run into Blaze though and together they had managed to beat it back.

This struck an odd cord in her. Why would the same thing happen twice? Surrounding yet another dragon that no one had a name for but the dragon itself? Why were the boys she had raised involved in something like this? It seemed far too similar to be a coincidence, and she didn't like it one bit. Jack had faced a Shadow Being and survived, only because of a dragon, and Yusei had just done the same with Star.

What was more, both dragons had seemed to take an instant interest in the boys. It was common knowledge how shy Duel Spirits could be. And yet these two dragons didn't seem to be like the others they had come across before. She found herself looking at Yusei in a new way. The boy just seemed to look at her with a perplexed face. She knew he was smart enough to realize these odd connections as well.

Martha wondered why these two, but she realized they weren't just two normal kids. They were both orphans, having lost their parents to the Zero Reverse like so many children their age. Yet she knew something else. Besides the fact that their last names connected them with people in the center of that accident, they had also both been in the center of it. Both Jack and Yusei had been in the middle of the Zero Reverse. Jack had been brought out before hand and Yusei had been sent away in an escape pod. The fact that two infants had survived from the center of the disaster had been a miracle to say the least. They weren't normal children.

“Martha?” Yusei asked. She jumped a little then smiled at him.

“I'm fine,” she replied. “Just worrying is all. Dr. Schmidt if you would like to take a look at Yusei's wounds now?”

She moved out of the way, and three sets of eyes followed her. Both Dr. Schmidt and Yusei looked at little confused at her reaction. But Star's eyes were more knowing than the other two. Martha found herself wondering what the purpose of these two dragons that had decided to be so friendly with these two boys really was. Dr. Schmidt stepped forward though, and her mind turned back to the more important matter of Yusei's healing. Dr. Schmidt silently had Yusei sit up so he could get to the bandages, and the boy winced a little as the sore muscles pulled.

Yusei sat very still as Dr. Schmidt unwound the bandages over his exposed torso to look at the wounds again. Yusei glanced down once at the wounds, and found himself blanching a little and quickly looking away. There were four huge slashes across his right shoulder and down his arm a little and continuing halfway across his chest and down towards his stomach. He hadn't realized the creature had hit him that hard, or sliced him that far.

The wounds were stitched closed now, and they were deep. Yusei knew that they were going to be painful for a long time, and they were painful now as Dr. Schmidt touched them to get a better look at the wounds. The stitches were clean and surgical, but the wounds were not. They had been a rash strike meant to either kill or maim.

Yusei had only been saved from farther injury by the fact that Star had been standing in front of him. The wounds hadn't been deep enough to cause as much injury as the claws could have, and they weren't deadly for the reason that her body had taken the brunt of the blow. He found himself grateful to Star again, stranger though she was.

Yusei found his eyes drawn towards the strange dragon again as Dr. Schmidt started muttering a spell under his breath to help Yusei heal. The man was always quiet when working with patients, a habit from working on those that had been asleep. The white haired girl met his eyes with her own, and he noticed something else in her eyes.

She seemed to be considering something, weighing her options about it. He could only wonder what it was that she was thinking of. She was watching him, but her eyes seemed to be a little far off. He had no idea what was going through her head, and he wondered what she could be thinking of. But then his wounds gave another pang and he winced. Martha shushed him as she began rewinding a bandage around his wounds with painstaking accuracy.

“Well,” Dr. Schmidt said. “I think we can count you as very lucky Mr. Fudo. You'll have to stay in bed for a few days, I don't want you moving that arm, got it?”

“I understand,” Yusei replied as he carefully laid down again once Martha was done. Dr. Schmidt smiled a little.

“Good,” he replied. “I have other patients to attend to. I'll return later.” then he gave Martha a smile, knowing her fondness for the boy. “Don't stay too long now. He needs rest. I think our friend Star has been watching over him just fine.”

Martha nodded, indicating that she understood. Then Dr. Schmidt turned to leave and Martha instead turned to look at Yusei. Both girls were silently thinking of something at the moment, and it made Yusei uncomfortable knowing that they were thinking about him. But then Martha seemed to shake out of it and sighed.

“You've gotten everyone worried now Yusei,” she said. “It's no secret what you did. The Police even had to report it in the City. You do know that means the Guardians of Duel Academy are going to be coming to check on it, don't you?”

“Well,” Yusei said, looking out the window. “It was either that or let the Satellite be destroyed, and that wasn't an option.” At this Martha paused a moment.

“Why do you do that Yusei?” she asked. “Work so hard for everyone? You'll work yourself into the ground, and you very nearly did this time. Why is the Satellite so important to you? Most people wouldn't even think twice about a run down place like this.”

“Because it's beautiful,” Yusei replied, looking at Martha. The woman didn't seem to know what she meant, but he had Star's attention now as well.

“Beautiful?” Martha asked. “It's a rundown place, and there's no beauty here. The City refuses to help us or let us leave. We've been forsaken by everyone. Yet to you it's beautiful?”

“It's true,” Yusei said, again looking out towards the Satellite through the window. “It's all true. We live and work here for the City but they don't help us. We can see a brighter future across the ocean that separates us but we can never reach it. Nothing grows here and people live in constant poverty while the City just watches us like trash. Yet it's still beautiful.”

“Explain to me,” Martha said calmly. Yusei sighed.

“It's beautiful because we're alive,” he replied. “Does that make sense? Everyone takes care of each other here because we don't have anyone else. Maybe this rundown town is all that we'll ever see. It's a small world too. But it's beautiful because of the connections we have here, and the will we have to survive. It's an ugly place, but the people make it beautiful.”

Star stared at Yusei, her expression unreadable. Martha was just staring at the boy in some confusion and surprise. But then a smile crossed her face as she watched him look out the window. Yes, he had always been like that. He had always been looking at the bright future that they had here. That's why he had joined Team Satisfaction, and why he had risked everything to protect them. Yusei always had been a bright light to those of them here in the Satellite. She knew that his parents would be very proud to see the young man their son had become.

“I see,” Martha said with a chuckle. “Well in that case I can't be that mad at you anymore. But you still need to be careful.” Then she paused. “The children want to see you, and so do the boys. Rally, Tank, Blitz and Nervin are really worried about you, you know. They always did like you. They can't come see you now, Doctor's orders. But I'll tell you that you're awake and doing better now. That should calm them for a while.”

“Thank you Martha,” Yusei said with a smile as he turned to look at her. She smiled back and looked at Star.

“Keep an eye on him for me,” she told the girl. “He can be reckless when his mind is set on being that way.” Star just smiled and nodded.

Satisfied for now, Martha turned and left the room, closing the door behind her again. Yusei turned and continued to stare out the window. What he had said was true. He felt that the Satellite was beautiful in its own way. It had a bad history and bad reputation, but it could be made better if they tried. He knew it. That's what had driven him to act yesterday.

Star was watching Yusei now, wondering about something. She seemed to look at his face. It was rather impassive, and little emotion would show through it. She realized he must have had a hard life growing up on these streets to look at everything that way, having to hide what he was thinking. However she could tell he had a good heart, and it was pure. He found this place beautiful? She'd never looked at it that way, but she supposed he was right. She nodded to herself.

Star smiled and leaned closer to Yusei, quickly getting his attention. He turned his eyes back to the dragon and he blinked a little in surprise as she reached forward. She laid one of her hands against his forehead and cast a spell quickly over him. He remained still, wondering what she was doing but trusting her to not hurt him. When she was finished she pulled back and smiled again. Then to his utter surprise she spoke, though her lips didn't move. It was in his mind.

“ _There,_ ” she said. “ _Now we can talk._ ”

“What did you do?” he asked in surprise.

“ _I just cast a spell so you could hear me talk,_ ” she said. “ _I felt it was time we did so._ ”

Yusei just paused, blinking a little as he looked at her. Why now? He wasn't frightened of her though. She had saved his life on several occasions during that attack. He was however a little unsure of her motives. What is that she wanted from him?

He did find himself calming a little. She had a gentle voice, a kind one. It was like the light she had summoned, silver and smooth. He wasn't sure what she wanted, but he was sure that she didn't mean harm. He looked at her closely.

“Well,” he said. “Why did you stay here with me?”

“ _Because I found you interesting,_ ” she said. “ _I'd heard that humans could be selfish and timid, but you were the exact opposite._ _Besides, I liked what you just said. About this place being beautiful. I didn't think of it that way, but you're right. Human are strange creatures, but beautiful none the less._ ”

“What are you doing here though?” he asked. “And why was that Shadow Spirit there with you?” Star fidgeted a little at this.

“ _I was told in a dream to come here,_ ” she admitted. “ _By a dragon I had never seen before. But when I came here I was followed by that creature. I couldn't let it hurt the people here, so I started fighting it, and then you showed up._ ”

“A dream?” Yusei asked. “What was it about?”

“ _The dragon told me I was missing my other half,_ ” Star said. “ _That I was incomplete. He told me that I needed to find my partner, and that this human would find my quickly. I didn't really get it, but I knew that this creature was old, and wise. I followed what he said and I ran into you._ ”

At this Yusei paused. A dream about some dragon she'd never seen before? And an ancient and wise one at that. He wasn't sure what it could mean, but he knew that strange things tended to happen in this world. Yugi Moto and his friends after all had been thrust into an ancient war that had spawned in Egypt, where the magic had first been tapped into and Duel Spirits and Magic had first entered into the world. Then there were other such wars before and since. When Ancient Spirits spoke it was generally a good idea to listen.

That then made Yusei think harder. If this was something like before then was it possible that he was involved in something bigger than he thought? It seemed highly improbable. After all, he was just a nobody from the Satellite. What could he do? He shook the thought out of his head and turned to look at Star again.

“But that still doesn't really answer my question,” he said. “Why are you here?”

“ _I've decided to make a contract with you,_ ” the dragon replied. “ _and to become you Spirit Partner Yusei._ ”

It was blunt and to the point, and it still made Yusei stare at her in disbelief. Him? Why him? He knew she was a powerful creature, which made him think there was some kind of mistake in all of this. Why would she want him? He was good with his hands and could fix just about anything, and yeah sure he had fought with Team Satisfaction, but he had never been the strongest. He just shook his head as he looked at her.

“Why me?” he asked. “I mean, it's not like I'm anything special. I'm not that strong and I'm just a nobody from the Satellite.”

“ _Because,_ ” Star said, crossing her arms a little. “ _You're kind and people look up to you. You're like a light to this place, and you're selfless. You think of everyone else before you. Plus you're not prideful. Though, there's a difference between being humble and having no faith in yourself. Have some self confidence Yusei._ ”

“I still don't understand,” he said.

Star gave him a glare, and then Yusei yelped as she leaned forward and grabbed his shirt collar. She met his blue eyes with her amber ones, watching him and waiting. He found himself a little nervous to be under those eyes suddenly. They were scrutinizing him, looking for any signs that she could find. She was silent for a long while.

“ _I'll explain then,_ ” she said. “ _I refuse to give myself to some human that can be easily corrupted, and I get the feeling that you know what you believe and will fight for it. I also decided I wanted a kind human, and though you've lived in a place like this and had such a hard life you're all the kinder for it. Besides Yusei, you are powerful. I couldn't have defeated that thing alone. And you're very smart. I couldn't have thought of using a spell like Wind Lance. Do you understand? I chose you because of who you are, not who you aren't._ ”

With that, Star released the boy and sat up again. Yusei turned to look at her carefully as she watched him. Now her face was unreadable. He didn't really understand what was going on. He'd just met this Duel Spirit, but she seemed to think that she needed to be here for some reason. He couldn't understand what she seemed to see in him, but he realized that she was right. He wasn't very self confident. He thought of himself as some kid from the streets. He watched her a long moment.

It usually took a long time for a human and a Duel Spirit to make a connection like this. Then the Duel Spirit would finally agree to make a contract. It wasn't anything to laugh at either. Once a contract was made the two would be bonded for life. There would be no breaking it except for by death. The human and Duel Spirit were basically signing their lives away to the other, for good or bad. And yet just like that, she was offering the same thing to him?

Yusei met Star's eyes, but they were serious. She was waiting for his answer, and she was determined to have him as her partner. He knew that he could trust her, and he knew she was powerful. He was also, as far as he knew, the only human that had seen her true form yet. Perhaps she was trusting him with her secret? He wasn't sure what was going on in her head.

However he did realize that he felt that she wasn't lying. There was something odd going on. He'd sensed it when he had run out to help her battle the beast, though he hadn't been completely sure what he had been sensing. And now he learned of her strange dream, and she was acting oddly for a Duel Spirit? He felt that something was definitely going on, and their mysterious Ancient dragon was behind it all somehow.

“Fine,” he said. “I...I don't know why, but I feel that there's something odd going on. I'll make a contract with you. But I'm not sure how it works.”

Star's face instantly seemed to light up into a huge smile. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with a happiness he hadn't seen there before, and he couldn't help but feel a little self conscious. She took his uninjured hand in hers and started purring again, as if she just couldn't keep herself from doing so.

“ _Don't worry,_ ” she said. “ _I know how. You let me worry about that okay. Though,_ ” she paused and looked at him. “ _where do you want the mark?_ ”

Yusei knew what she meant. When a contract was made between a Duel Spirit and their human Partner they would brand themselves in a way. This brand was a magical marker that warned off those that would want to harm either party (though usually the human), tell others that this human was taken, as well as tell the strength of the pair. It would appear in the same place on both. He knew that Kiryu's had been on the back of his left hand, and Jack's was on the left side of his chest. He looked at her closely. He didn't want to put it anywhere awkward, considering she was still female.

“How about on the left cheek?” he asked.

“ _Good idea,_ ” she said with a nod. “ _That way it's visible and it'll be easier to explain that we're Partners._ _I know! I'll draw a shape that kind of looks like a shooting star!_ ”

Yusei couldn't help but smile a little as she seemed excited about the prospect. Star continued to smile and then reached forward, laying a hand on the left side of his face. She laid the other on the left side of her own face and closed her eyes. Yusei sat still, unsure what else he was supposed to do. He then winced a little as he felt a slight stinging sensation on the side of his face. But Star soon removed her hand and pointed to the mark.

It was a line that ran from under their eye down to their chin. It was yellow, and looked a lot like one of the prison marks. However even the slightest movement through either of their body from even simply breathing sent shimmers of silver and blue running through it. There was a small triangle off to the left side of the line. It was a beautiful mark, and though it looked yellow like a prison mark it had no identification code and the shimmer proved that it wasn't. It was a magical mark, the mark of the bond he and this dragon had agreed to form.

“ _Alright,_ ” she said. “ _I'll do the spell. It's simpler because I know it. We just have to touch the mark on the other to seal it._ ”

Yusei nodded as he reached forward and laid his hand on the mark, and she did the same. He found himself glad that he hadn't decided to put it on his chest or leg or something. That would have made him extremely uncomfortable, even if Star had elected to ignore it. The dragon closed her eyes and began the spell.

Or at least, he thought she had. He wasn't sure what she was doing. He didn't feel any different than he did. However he did feel the spell she had used earlier end, and she wasn't using it so he could hear her voice anymore. But then she withdrew her hand and opened her eyes with a smile. He did the same, looking at her closely.

“ _Done,_ ” she announced. He looked at his hand as if something about himself would be different.

“I don't fell any different,” he said.

“ _You're not supposed to,_ ” she replied. “ _We're meant to be Partners, not one controlling the other. This way we're friends and equals. That's how a contract is supposed to be._ ”

“I know that,” he said, looking at Star. “I wasn't going to pretend you weren't more powerful than me. We both know you're way stronger, and you could kill me if you wanted to.” She frowned at him now.

“ _I don't want to kill you,_ ” she replied. “ _I like you. Besides my kind are supposed to be guardians._ ”

“Guardians?” he asked. “Is that why you insisted on fighting that thing, and protecting me even though you'd never met me?”

“ _Yes,_ ” she replied. “ _It's in our blood._ ”

“And what exactly are you?” Yusei couldn't help but ask.

At this Star smiled and stood. She walked over to the window, Yusei following her with his eyes. She paused and looked up towards the sky, seeming to look beyond the bright blue that was above them. She was quiet for a moment, and then finally spoke.

“ _The sky here is the same as in the Spirit Realm,_ ” she said. “ _So beautiful and blue. There is a legend among my kind, like there is a legend among all Spirits. We all have legends of how we were created. But this was the way the Spirit World was created. When the world was young there were were six elements that ruled the world. These were Wind, Fire, Dark, Light, Earth, and Plant. These forces banded together to create the creatures and world below. Earth and Plant created water, Earth created the land, and Plant created the vegetation that grew on it. Fire created warmth and Wind the cold. Light created day and Dark night. Then seeing the place they had created they banded together to create the creatures that called that place home._ ”

Yusei was silent a moment as he listened. He was never one to turn down knowledge, especially some that he hadn't heard before. He had never heard this creation story of the Spirit Realm, though he thought there was probably a record of it somewhere. He didn't question her and let her continue to explain.

“ _The elements were not creatures themselves,_ ” she continued. “ _They had no true forms, so they decided to create creatures that could house their powers. They at first called upon the Ancient Spirits, and these creatures that came into being were powerful and had no true element because they were created by all. They agreed to help rule the world, and then the other creatures were created. Every Spirit that was created, and every kind, came from the elements._ ”

Star turned to look at Yusei now. She was smiling, and her eyes were gentle as well. He found himself spellbound by her tale. It seemed far too farfetched to be true, yet she believed it fully. Then again, could he really talk? Humans had conflicting religions and beliefs, yet there was always someone who believed what they knew was true. Besides, the Spirit Realm was a place of powerful magic. Why couldn't it have been created by magic? Where had this magic come from? This seemed to answer that question.

“ _They created the great and the small,_ ” Star said. “ _The strong and the weak. And they created all of us and trusted us to use their magic. It is said that my kind were created when Wind saw that Light had created the stars and the moon to light the night, and Dark and Light had agreed to keep this balance always, so shadow always came to the day. Wind thought the soft light of the stars was beautiful, and so Wind asked to borrow two of them. Dark and Light agreed, so Wind breathed around the two stars and had them fall to earth. These two became male and female, and they became my kind. The male was Virgo and the female Andromeda, the father and mother of my kind. It is because of this that we are known as Stardust Dragons, though we use Wind Magic instead of Light as people might think._ ”

“That's what you are then?” Yusei asked. “A Stardust Dragon?”

“ _Yes,_ ” She replied. “ _That's the name the Wind gave us._ ”

Yusei nodded, realizing that the name fit well. She certainly seemed to be made of starlight. Star turned back to the window, as if trying to pierce the blue sky and look up to the stars above it. He found his mind buzzing with questions again, but he felt tired again as well. Things were happening too fast, and he was hurt. He laid his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes. Maybe he'd ask more questions later. He wanted to hear more about her and her world.

Star paused and turned around as she heard light snoring behind her. She smiled a little as she saw that Yusei had fallen asleep again, every breath passing through his lungs making the mark on his face shimmer like starlight. She walked back over and sat quietly down in the chair again to watch over him. She felt responsible for him. Besides she wasn't going anywhere now.

She hardly knew anything about humans, and he hardly knew anything about her. They'd have to teach each other together. But as she saw his sleeping form, she couldn't help but think of her strange dream again, and the dragon that had appeared in it.

It had been long and powerful, having no true form. It appeared to be made of some sort of gas or fire perhaps, the shape of it always flowing and fluid. He had just seemed ancient and powerful, but benevolent and kind as well. He had also insisted she come here and find her perfect partner. She felt like Yusei was as close as she was getting.

She found herself worried suddenly. What had she gotten him into? She wasn't sure, but the dragon's words continued to echo in her ears. She was sure she'd made the right choice. So she'd just have to keep an eye on him.

That's when her eyes fell upon his arm, and the light glowing of something beneath the blankets hiding it. It was red? She moved the blanket and gasped at what she saw, taking his arm gently in her hand to get a closer look at it.

It looked like what could have been the shape of the strange dragon's head, and it was glowing the same color that the dragon's strange body had been.

It was glowing crimson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gee I wonder what that could be? It's not like you saw that coming either (the sarcasm has returned). The mark has only now appeared on Yusei that he has been chosen by the Stardust Dragon to be her Partner. Like in the series it won't appear all the time, but unlike the series if they're wearing long sleeves it won't be that noticeable.   
> Anyway, I hope you guys have enjoyed so far. Yusei won't have knowledge of this for a while, because I can't reveal everything to the main character right now, now can I? You'll have to be patient and read when we get there.


	4. Foreboding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sheer boredom and having nothing else to do at the moment has made me continue this story. I will work on my other two as well, but right now this is the only one I seem to have inspiration for, hence why I have been updating like crazy. I'm glad you guys are enjoying this story so far and keep reviewing! I'm glad that you have enjoyed this story so much!   
> Anyway, in this chapter we'll meet some familiar characters and Yusei and Star will start forming an even stronger bond than before. But we'll also get to hear some more about some of the things that are going on.

Yusei was awoken by the sound of a loud thud followed by several grunts and a yelp. He opened his eyes in confusion at the noise, and found Star looking unsure whether she wanted to tear something apart or start laughing. He heard Martha sigh and looked towards the door, which was now open, to see what had caused the disturbance.

He at first could not make out anything but Martha behind a strange form on the ground, shaking her head with her hands on her hips. Then he noticed a knot of human limbs and watched as it righted itself until it began to untangle itself and stand, revealing four familiar faces of different statures and body builds. He smiled when he saw them.

They were good friends of his, always helping him find the parts he needed around here. They were always willing to help him with his projects and they had never failed in finding him just what he needed. They lived in a rundown subway in the cleaner district, and they were some of the best friends he could ask for.

The shortest was a boy that was around twelve to thirteen, who had longer red hair and brown eyes, as well as a small mark noting that he had been to prison before, even at his age, for stealing. He was wearing a dress though since they didn't have many clothes, which got him confused constantly for a girl which he hated.

Next to him was a man that was second shortest and one of the oldest. He was more heavy set and had brown hair pulled up behind a small headband, and he had brown eyes. He was always willing to help Yusei out and though he could be a little timid he was a good friend. His name was Tank. Next to him stood the tallest, a thinner man with brown hair that was hidden under a blue bandana, and brown eyes. He was a smiling man that always seemed to have faith in Yusei no matter what he did. He was smiling at Yusei now and ignoring Martha behind him. His name was Blitz.

Lastly was Nervin, who was a taller man with blue hair pulled into a pony tail and blue eyes. He wore glasses and tended to worry all the time, evident by the way that he was glancing over his shoulder at Martha as she tapped her foot in annoyance.

Rally looked at Yusei a little guiltily and Nervin looked ready to leap out the window if it would help him avoid Martha's wrath. Martha looked angry, but Star seemed to find the sight of the four of them funny and started giggling. Yusei couldn't help but smile a little wider when he heard the sound. Blitz, Nervin, and Tank looked at Star questioningly but turned to their friend first.

“Sorry,” Rally said. “Did we wake you?”

“Of course you did,” Martha growled. “He was asleep before you got here. He needs all the rest he can get.”

“W-We're very sorry Martha,” Nervin said nervously. “We didn't mean it.”

“Yeah,” Tank sighed. “Next time we'll try not to all fall in the room at the same time.”

“Glad to see you awake bud,” Blitz said. “How are you feeling?”

“Better than before I guess,” Yusei replied with a smile. “But I don't think it's going to stop hurting for a while yet.”

“Which is why you need to rest,” Martha said.

“Go easy on them,” Yusei laughed. “You know they didn't mean it.”

She at last sighed but relented, winking at Yusei though as she passed. She promised to come back with some food when Yusei could stomach it, and then left the friends there. Star managed to get her giggling back under control, and Rally seemed to notice her for the first time.

Rally crossed the space between them and looked at her face closely at the mark there. Then he turned to Yusei to look at his face as well. For a moment he didn't seem to realize what he was looking at. He knew Yusei had never been thrown into prison like he had, so where he had gotten that mark? He moved though and sent shimmers of blue and silver running through it. Suddenly he jumped and pointed at Yusei's face.

“You have a mark there,” he cried. “And so does she! What's going on?” Yusei smiled when he realized what he was talking about.

“This is Star,” he explained. “She's a dragon, something called a Stardust Dragon. She and I formed our contract. We're Partners now.”

Rally seemed excited at the news, and the three older men crossed the room to look at Star too. She seemed to tolerate them very well and smiled at them gently. They found that she had good eyes, and they felt like they liked her. They weren't going to trust their best friend to just any Duel Spirit after all. Nervin pushed up his glasses and smiled back.

“Hello Star,” he said. “Are you the one that they said came here with Yusei?”

She nodded, which seemed to interest them. They hadn't heard much about what had happened, but everyone knew some of it. They knew that Yusei had gotten hurt after fighting a Shadow Spirit. They had also heard of the strange girl who had come with him to Martha's place. But they hadn't known she was a Duel Spirit herself. Rally though seemed fascinated by her.

“You're a dragon?” he asked. “Can we see your true form?”

“It wouldn't fit inside,” Yusei said with a small laugh.

“Is she that big?” Rally gasped in happiness.

“She's pretty big,” Yusei replied with a nod.

“ _He seems very friendly,_ ” Star told Yusei with a smile.

Yusei turned to look at her and respond, but paused when he saw her face. She seemed nervous about something, and oddly distracted. He found she was looking at his arm. He glanced down but saw nothing wrong with it, and so he looked up at her again, confused why she was looking at him that way. The others paused too.

“Star?” he asked. “What is it?”

“ _N-Nothing,_ ” she said unconvincingly. “ _I was just thinking is all._ ”

Yusei continued to watch her for a moment, unsure. He knew she was hiding something from him, but he didn't want to push her. They hardly had a relationship to start out with, and they were now stuck together for life. If he made them angry now then there was going to be nothing but trouble. He was still worried though about what could have gotten her attention. He decided in any case to just drop it. He was sure she would tell him if she felt like it.

“Alright,” he replied, turning instead to look at his friends.

He realized that they looked worried now too. They knew that Duel Spirits hardly ever just took an interest in something if it wasn't something worth doing so. He could tell that they were worried that something else was wrong. He certainly didn't want to worry them. So he made it look like he had been completely convinced by them.

“Cheer up,” he said. “I'll be out of here in no time. You guys just make sure to keep Rally out of trouble for me.”

That seemed to do the trick. The older three males gave each other knowing smiles and amused ones. Rally on the other hand seemed to pout a little and crossed his arms. This made the older three laugh as they saw this, and Yusei couldn't help but laugh along.

“I don't get into that much trouble,” he said.

“Yeah,” Tank said teasingly. “That's why you have that mark on your face.” He poked the tiny mark on his cheek from the police. Rally covered it.

“Leave me alone,” he cried, seeming self conscious in front of Star. The others just laughed and shook their heads.

“Hey Yusei,” Nervin said. “Some of the kids are downstairs. They were asking about their Helicopter?”

“Oh yeah,” Yusei said, mentally face palming himself that he forgot to fix it. “I promised I'd fix it and well...this happened.”

“Yeah,” Nervin replied. “Well they said not to worry about it until you got better. They're really worried about you, but Martha barley let us come up here.”

“Everyone's worried about you Yusei,” Blitz said. “We all are. Not many people can survive an attack against a Shadow Spirit.”

“We're all we have, you know?” Tank added. “So take it easy okay?”

“I will,” Yusei replied with a small smile. “So tell everyone they can take it easy alright? I'm doing fine and Dr. Schmidt and Martha are taking good care of me. So you can relax.”

The group all smiled and nodded, knowing that Yusei wasn't one to lie to them. At that time though, Martha came bustling back in with a tray of food and a glass of water. Yusei suddenly felt much hungrier than he had in a long time, and he was grateful for it. She brought it right to him, and then turned to the four that had come in to visit.

“Alright,” she said. “You've visited enough. Yusei needs rest to get better. So you go on back outside. I've got everything under control here.”

They tried to protest, but Yusei knew well that there was no fighting Martha. When they refused to move she grabbed Blitz and Tank by the ears and dragged them right on outside and towards the staircase. Nervin and Rally quickly followed, not wanting to be at the receiving side of that punishment. Yusei smiled a little and took the tray to eat the food.

“ _They seem fond of you,_ ” Star noted.

“They are,” Yusei replied. “Like they said, we don't really have a lot here but each other. We stay close. There was a time when it wasn't like this, but we changed that. It's safer here now, as well as more peaceful.”

Star was quiet for a while, simply sitting there and thinking. Martha came in once to check that Yusei was eating, and was pleased to see that he was. She left again on her rounds and Star let Yusei eat in silence. He realized that she wanted to say something, but she wasn't saying it. He was just quiet and concentrated on the food, knowing that she'd say if she wanted to. After the food was gone he put the tray on the floor next to Star and turned to look at her.

“ _You said it wasn't always this way,_ ” She said. “ _What did you mean?_ ”

“The Satellite used to be a place full of crime,” he said. “You couldn't trust anyone but people you'd known your whole life. There were gangs all over the place and sections of crime. It wasn't safe for anyone, and no one really smiled. There was so much crime that the police couldn't keep up. Me and my friends got tired of it and decided to end it. So we formed Team Satisfaction.”

“ _I heard Martha mention it,_ ” Star admitted. “ _Could you tell me about them? What you did?_ ”

Yusei paused a moment, looking at her closely. It brought up bad memories. He didn't like to think about all the pain that had come after it. He'd lost his best friend, and his other friends had gone off on their own paths in their own ways. But he couldn't deny that it was part of his past and a part of who he was.

Yusei sat up stiffly and met Star's eyes. If they were going to trust each other, they needed to know all they could about each other. He had gotten an answer to a question last night about her people, so he was going to answer one about his. They'd have to keep trading information like this. So he nodded and began to recount what had happened.

* * *

 

He rolled his eyes as he heard a yawn from the other room, but he smiled as well. His house had basically become like a second home to his old student, and the students he was teaching. He could hear them arguing in the other room. There was just no stopping them. His wife came in and smiled at him as she returned to the oven to check the cookies she'd been making. She wasn't home often, but when she was she loved to bake. They had a daughter, but she had moved out to go to college.

“Luna and Leo are at it again huh?” his wife asked.

“Yes,” he chuckled. “And Jaden's not trying to stop them. As usual. He's such a lazy boy.”

“Maybe,” his wife replied. “but he did help save the world just like you did. You've got an eye for seeing the people who are best at fighting against the evil in this world.”

She turned back to the oven and paused, looking down. He still found himself attracted to her, even though it had been many years. They were both around forty or so now, but they retained much of their youthful appearance. It had been years since they had fought in their own Ancient War, and years since his student, Jaden, had his. It seemed like it was only a matter of time before the next one came to light. There was always some sort of evil in the world.

Her name was Anzu, and she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was average height and thin, and her body held its womanly shape very well. She had been a famous dancer after their war had ended, just as she'd always wanted to. She was almost always away on business. She had blonde hair that hung down to her chin and brown eyes.

His name was Yugi. He was still short, and he'd never really gotten that tall. He'd gotten taller of course, but genetics dictated that he never get taller than around five feet. He had become a teacher a Duel Academy, but it wasn't an official position. He helped when he found a student that he felt was special, like Jaden had been. But Jaden was the only student he'd ever found like that, so he was his only student. He had amethyst eyes and his hair was spiked up and in three odd shades. The main body of it was black, but red rimmed it and gold streaks ran through it.

Yugi glanced once towards the window. He could see the sun starting to set outside, but that's not what had gained his attention. He'd spotted movement behind him. What he saw reflected didn't give him any comfort. It was him, and he only appeared when things were starting to get crazy again. He looked exactly like him, only he didn't look any older than around sixteen. He was taller than Yugi would ever be too, and there were more gold streaks running through his hair than Yugi's.

Its not that it surprised him. He was used to seeing him pop up without warning. Yubel did the same with Jaden. But unlike the female demon, this Egyptian Pharoh often appeared when things were just about to go wrong. Unfortunately Yami (his real name was Atem but they were all so used to calling him Yami that it just stuck) had an ability to sense when something was going to go wrong. He hadn't appeared in years and now he was back.

“Yugi?” Anzu asked, worried when she saw his face.

“It's Yami,” Yugi replied. “He's back.”

“What is he saying?” she asked. Anzu knew well that Yami only appeared in times like this.

After their war he could have passed on into death without any regrets, but he had decided to remain nearby in case of emergency. The Pharaoh had warned them before they had been forced to find Jaden in order to face the wrath of an Ancient King and his darkness. Jaden had actually been the good half of the King reborn into the world, while the bad half had been sealed away. That had caused a war between both halves. Luckily, Jaden with the help of Yubel, had won.

Their war had been a bit different. The Egyptians were the ones who had originally opened the world to the magic of the Spirit Realm and had let Duel Spirits come through in the first place. However they had also opened the world to the Shadow Realm. This Ancient War was waged between the creatures of both worlds, those that wanted to destroy the human realm and those that wanted to save it. Yugi, with the help of the Pharaoh Atem had managed to drive back the evil, with the help of many allies (some of whom had started as enemies) and the mystical items known as the Millennium Items with different powers.

And now he was back. Yugi knew it could not bode well. As grateful as Yugi was for his help, and though he knew he was a benevolent ghost, he couldn't help but feel a little trepidation as he saw him again after about sixteen years. Was that not enough of a span of peace? Did they really have to face yet another war? He knew that the light and darkness was always fighting for control, but he wished they didn't have to do it so often. There was often long eras of peace, and sometimes there were eras of chaos. It seemed this was the second kind.

“Yami,” Yugi greeted him, knowing he was the only one who could see and hear him, except for Yubel who was in the other room with Jaden. “What is it?”

The Ghost of the Pharaoh walked around in front of him. He was wearing period clothing, white linen cloth and sandals. He also had a golden crown of sorts with an Egyptian eye on it and a gold arm piece that had a fan like part on the side of it. He had a belt of blue and a blue cape. On his chest was an upside down pyramid with an Egyptian eye in the middle. Yugi had the same object on his chest, though he was wearing a blue blazer and a black pants, as well as a white t-shirt. The Pharaoh looked at Yugi and gave him a smile, greeting him warmly as always.

“ **It's been a while Yugi,** ” he said. “ **But I know you know why I'm here.** ”

“I suspected as much,” Yugi replied. “I should have noticed. Jaden said Yubel's been acting strangely. She must have sensed you again.”

“ **She is rather perceptive,** ” Yami agreed. “ **Especially considering she's a demon from the Shadow Realm. It's strange to think that there are creatures there who are actually kind towards human. It still seems confusing to me. But I can't deny that there are indeed some creatures of the Shadow Realm that are benevolent.** ”

At this Yami shook his head in disbelief. Yugi understood. He had felt the same way when learning about his apprentice's strange ally. They hadn't wanted to believe it, seeing as they had just fought a war against the Shadow Realm only a few years prior. But Yubel had proved them wrong, and Jaden had shared her powers. Together they had saved everyone, along with his friends too of course. It was amazing what those kids had managed to do.

“ **But I'm not here to think of the past,** ” Yami suddenly said, blunt as always. “ **There's something strange going on. There are rumors and movement in the Spirit Realm that is concerning me.** ”

“Shadow Beings?” Yugi asked. To his surprise, Yami shook his head. Even Jaden's war had involved these creatures.

“ **No,** ” Yami replied. “ **They are Ancient Spirits, creatures that existed in the Spirit World before Duel Spirits did. They are powerful and have no elements, so they have no allegiance. Some became evil and some became good. It is these creatures that are stirring now. They are whispering of a great war that was once fought and has never been won.** ”

“And you think this is the problem?” Yugi asked. He paused, thinking a moment. “There had been more and more Shadow Beings appearing all over the place and attacking. The world capitals seem to be falling apart. There are strange rumors of missing people and destruction by an unknown force. Then there's the Zero Reverse a few years ago...”

“It sounds like something leading up to an Apocalypse,” Anzu said with a shudder.

“ **If the rumors are true,** ” Yami said, looking right at Yugi. “ **Then it just might be. The creatures that fought this war are Ancient Spirits. The evil ones were sealed away, but seem ready to break from their prisons. They were known as Earthbound Immortals. The last was the one that led an army of dragons. This one I could not find a name for, but I heard there was once a tribe of people that worshiped it as a god.** ”

“That sounds like Marik's area of expertise,” Yugi said thoughtfully. “But did you say dragons? Why dragons?”

“ **I'm not sure,** ” Yami replied. “ **Perhaps because they're so closely related to magic? I did hear though that there were six of them, one for all of the six original elements.** ”

“The perfect balance...” Yugi said quiet.

“ **It seems so,** ” Yami said, nodding to him. “ **Either way, I think it would be best to look for someone that could help us. Though, I'm not entirely sure what we should look for.** ”

“I'll start by contacting Marik as soon as possible,” Yugi sighed. “It'll have to wait though. He won't return from wherever it is that he was going to disappear to for a few weeks. I hate that he's so secretive, especially when we need him now. But we'll have to start the search somehow.”

“ **I agree,** ” Yami replied, nodding.

“You talking to yourself again?” another voice asked from the door.

They turned to look, spotting Jaden. He was a taller man that was around thirty years old now, and also still looked rather youthful. He had brown hair of two different tones and brown eyes. He gave Yugi a crooked smile as he looked at him. Behind him was his partner, Neos who was a Duel Spirit by the same name and appeared to be the same age as Jaden. He had pale skin, white hair with bangs that had a blue and red streak through them and blue eyes. He also wore a white t-shirt and white pants. Jaden paused then, glancing to his left, where Yubel was.

“ **Hello Yubel,** ” Yami greeted.

“Oh,” Jaden said. “Yami's here. Does that mean what I think it means?”

“Unfortunately yes,” Anzu said with a sweet smile to the man. Jaden groaned.

“Great,” he said. “What is it now?”

“Apparently dragons,” Anzu sighed. Jaden just looked at her like she might be crazy. “I'm serious.”

“No way,” Jaden sighed.

At that point, another figure came into the room, making it suddenly seem very cramped. It was followed by four more. The first figure was a tall man and looked around Yugi's age. He had a blank face and blue eyes that seemed slightly unfocused. His hair was chin length and purple. He also wore a purple hoodie and black pants. This was Yugi's Partner, a Dark Magician Spirit known as Merlin. He turned to Yugi and instantly spoke in a slightly annoyed voice though his face didn't show the emotion.

“ _If these two keep screaming like that they're going to wake up the neighbors,_ ” Merlin said.

Behind him came the twins and their partners. Luna looked ashamed and Leo looked defiant. Luna and Leo were the same height and around twelve years old. They both had amber eyes and mint green hair, though Leo's was pulled into a pony tail with two strands hanging over his shoulders, and Luna had hers pulled up into pigtails with strands hanging over her shoulders.

Their partners were, to Yugi's slight uneasiness, both dragons. Leo's was a Life Steam Dragon (one they'd never heard of before) and was an Earth type creature. He was short and looked Leo's age. He had short brown hair and brown eyes, and he wore a brown jacket with a scarf that covered most of his face and white pants. Luna's Dragon was an Ancient Fairy Dragon (again one they'd never heard of before) and a Light creature. She was also short and looked to be Luna's age. She had long gold hair and pink eyes. She had pale skin and wore a light blue dress with a golden belt and pink leggings underneath. It looked like it wouldn't match but it worked quite well.

Both young dragons used the same kind of magic as their partners. They saw Yugi looking at them and paused, unsure of the oddly worried look in his eye. He quickly turned his eyes back to Jaden however, knowing that he had come in here for a reason. The twins were a little surprised that they weren't about to get in trouble. Something big must have been going on.

“What is it Jaden?” Yugi asked.

“Always did know how to read me,” Jaden said with a smile. “I came because of this. Take a look.”

Jaden handed Yugi his tablet, which Yugi looked and began to read the article. His attention was instantly caught by the picture of a skeleton. It obviously belonged to that of a Shadow Spirit, and he found himself a little scared to read on. How much damage had it done before it had been brought down? He started reading.

Apparently not much. It had attacked the Satellite, which was so broken anyway it hadn't done any worse damage. Thinking of the Satellite put a bad taste in Yugi's mouth. He and several others had tried to send help several times, but something else had always come up, something else needing their attention. It was like someone was hiding these things from them, and something else.

He did notice however that one person and a Duel Spirit had been injured. The Duel Spirit was unidentified and the boy's name instantly made Yugi freeze and nearly drop the tablet. The name was like a slap across his face, as if he had just seen a ghost. In reality, he pretty much just had. He'd had no idea the boy had even been alive, let alone been so powerful.

“Yugi?” Anzu asked worriedly.

“Y-Yusei Fudo?” he asked Jaden. His student nodded.

“Exactly,” he said. “I had no idea the kid was even still alive. But it seems he's just like his father. He's got some powerful magic. I did some more digging and found out that he was one of the members of Team Satisfaction. Remember hearing about them?” Yugi nodded, too surprised to do anything else.

“Fudo?” Leo asked. “Isn't he the one who caused the Zero Reverse?”

“Dad said he was the one that caused the meltdown,” Luna added.

“No way,” Jaden said with a surprisingly defensive tone. “I knew Hakase Fudo. He was kind and powerful. He devoted his life to creating the Ener-D Reactor. There's no way he'd just throw it away like that! And with his wife and child there too!”

“Right,” Anzu said, looking at the children. “You shouldn't believe everything you hear on television. Dr. Fudo was a brilliant man. That explosion was caused from the inside, but no one knows who did it or why. Dr. Fudo was trying to stop it, and he helped the survivors to escape People just had to blame someone and chose him.” Then she paused, thinking. “Though, it's a little surprising to hear that his son survived that. He was in the middle of the meltdown with his parents. Jack too. He was right there. The Atlas family was also working on that Reactor with their son nearby.”

“It is a bit of a mystery,” Yugi agreed. “But they did survive. And it looks like Mr. Fudo's gotten himself into a bit of a situation. I never thought a Shadow Spirit would attack the Satellite. It doesn't seem like its usual hunting grounds.”

“Do you think someone could have released it there?” Jaden asked. The twins seemed terrified of the idea.

“Perhaps,” Yugi said. “But why?”

At that point, Yugi paused. He realized that Yami had been oddly quiet. It wasn't who he usually was. Normally he was very talkative and voiced his opinion on things. The fact that he was quiet now seemed odd. Yugi glanced back at him, and noticed him studying the picture of the Shadow Spirit. He couldn't read English, though he knew Ancient Egyptian like the back of his hand. He only seemed to speak the same language as everyone else because the Millennium Puzzle around both of their necks translated for him. Everyone else in the room seemed to pause and wait as Yugi watched him.

“ **Yugi,** ” he said at last. “ **I have a weird feeling about this. It seems too coincidental that both Jack and Yusei would not only survive, but in the same area. It seems too much like fate to me, and we both know that fate is a ruler of us all. Besides, I'm interested in this 'unidentified Duel Spirit'. We should check it out.** ”

Yugi sighed when he heard this, and only Jaden seemed to have any clue what was going on. Yubel had just told him what Yami had said, and he was now watching Yugi with interest. Yugi knew that Yami was right though. This wasn't something that they could just ignore. If there really was something going on, they needed to start somewhere. Besides, Yami was usually right.

“Well,” he said. “Luna, Leo, you're going to have some time off. Jaden and I are making a trip to the Satellite. Yami insists.”

No one said anything to try and dissuade him. They knew that Yami was a strange creature, both wise and kind. He hadn't been wrong yet, and they knew he was a strangely attentive ghost. The twins were silent, and Anzu was silently thinking of the battles her husband her his student had already faced. Jaden nodded, and at last to break the silence Merlin stepped forward.

“ _I'll help you pack,_ ” he said. “ _Neos and I are coming with you._ ” Yugi just nodded, knowing that this might turn into a very interesting experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to throw in Yugi and some of his gang into this chapter, seeing as they're going to go meet up with Yusei soon. They have some more ideas as to what's going on than others, but if they knew more now it would be too easy.   
> This chapter got really long, and I thought it was going to be short when I started. Nope. Anyway, I hope you're enjoying and like how I changed their “wars” and how they were fought. This is an AU after all, so I thought changing them was in order to help things move more smoothly and make more sense.   
> Anyway, if you enjoyed feel free to leave a review below and tell me how you think I did. Also look forward to more! This story has only just gotten started.


	5. In the Presence of Kings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do choose names basically on which I think sounds better or because of nationality.   
> Basically with this story, expect some older characters to pop up. I'm talking original Yugioh and Gx. Also, as will be talked about in more detail later, Jaden did go to school with Hakase Fudo. They would be about the same age now if he hadn't have died, and Jaden was good friends with Hakase (as were most of the other GX characters) so they'll be keeping tabs on Yusei especially.   
> Anyway, no more spoilers for you. I hope you enjoy the chapter!  
> Note: This is how the talking works.   
> Spirits: Italics  
> Humans: Normal Text  
> Yami or Yubel (and eventually the Crimson Dragon): Bold Italics

Yusei smiled a little as he watched the children rushing back and forth excitedly between the Stardust Dragon's massive legs. The mark was not visible on her face since she was in her true form, but his glittered all the more brilliantly becase of this. Star was very patient with the children, and seemed to find them all amusing as they clambered over her tail and claws. Their parents had been a little nervous to let the children go near her, but with Yusei's assurance they had continued with their jobs and left their children under the care of Yusei and his dragon Partner.

Yusei had healed up enough that Martha and Dr. Schmidt had let him come outside on the porch for some fresh air, but he had to keep his injured arm elevated. He was sitting in a chair with a sling on, but he had his tank top back on again. He watched the children giggling and playing for a while more before he turned his eyes down to the object in his lap.

It was the toy helicopter. He'd promised he'd fix it, and he was determined to do so. It was difficult with only one hand, but he was good with it and the tools worked well for him. He also wasn't left handed, which was proving a bit of a problem. But Yusei had fixed things with his non-dominant hand several times before when he'd burned his right hand. He wasn't supposed to move his right arm now, so he was working with one hand again.

It was hard going, and much slower than he was used to working, but he was getting it done. He was far too good with his hands now to make a mistake. He continued to tinker and mess with the tiny parts and insides of the toy, concentrating hard to make sure he finished what he had started. Soon though he put down his tools to take a good look at his handiwork.

Upon doing so, he glanced up to notice a real helicopter setting down not too far away. He was wondering why someone from the City would come here, when he was distracted by a child's high pitched squeal as she clambered over Star's neck. The dragon had lowered her head and chest, and so her neck wasn't too far off the ground. The little girl's father's Partner was nearby and watching in case she should fall, but he didn't seem worried about Star at all.

Yusei smiled a little as he saw one of the children look over to him and start waving. They were in a good mood now that he was getting better. Yusei had always been their hero, even before he had even joined Team Satisfaction. They had just loved him, and he'd always been willing to fix things for them. He replaced the hatch on the back of the helicopter that hid the inner workings of the toy and started screwing it back into place.

It didn't look perfect. It had several scratches along the sides of it from where it had been hit by the Red Eyes Black Dragon. However it was now in working order again, and so he motioned the boy who had started waving at him over. Excitedly the boy ran over, and Yusei presented him with the fixed helicopter toy.

“You fixed it,” the boy cried gleefully. “I knew you could!”

“Go on and tell the others you can play with it then,” Yusei said with a wider smile. “Just be careful with it this time, and try not to break it.”

The boy agreed readily and ran out towards the other children, practically bouncing up and down with excitement as he ran over. Upon seeing the boy and the newly fixed toy, the children abandoned their climbing over Star like a jungle gym to trying to decide who would play with the toy first and how long. Yusei couldn't help but smile at them. He loved to see them getting along so well and playing. The children gave him hope.

Freed from her burden Star stood and stretched her wings to their full extent, giving out a purr to Yusei as she did so. She liked the children too. They were lively and happy little creatures, much like a Kuriboh. She missed being in the Spirit Realm, but she'd chosen this path. She found as she looked at Yusei's face and saw the content smile, she felt content as well, at least for the time being. She felt that there was something going on, and she wasn't sure what. But for now she knew that both she and this boy were happy where they were.

Star's eyes however then widened slightly as she sensed powerful magic nearby. She turned her great head in the direction of the source, and her wings lowered again. She wasn't going to be overly threatening towards humans, but neither did she exactly trust them. She was giving them a clear warning not to try anything though, and she was pleased to see the four figures pause upon seeing the large dragon take such a defensive stance.

Yusei paused when he saw Star bristle just slightly. He could understand why she did it. Duel Spirits were known as shy creatures for the same reason she was now demonstrating. He still turned to look in the direction she was and paused.

He saw four people there, or what he thought could be people. He recognized them though and gasped, wondering why on earth they would have come to the Satellite of all places. One was shorter, with careful amethyst eyes and hair that was black red and yellow. The other was taller and seemed very laid back, waving at Star now who didn't look amused. He had brown hair of two shades and brown eyes. Next to the shorter one was a man that had purple hair and impassive blue eyes. Next to the taller one was a pale young man with white hair that had blue and red streaks through it and blue eyes.

Yusei found himself feeling a little awed and confused. He had no idea why they were here, but here they were. He'd never thought he'd ever see the King of Games in person, or his Partner. Or even his student and his Partner. They were both famous for fighting against the evil that had appeared. And Yugi Moto had helped to found Duel Academy along with Seto Kaiba and Joey Wheeler afterwords and had then found Jaden Yuki.

Confused as he was, he quickly turned to look at Star. She didn't look inclined to let them approach, mainly because they were powerful and her Partner was still hurt. Yusei knew though that, not only was it bad manners to greet two such famous people with an angry dragon, they were here for a reason. He looked up at Star.

“Star calm down,” he said. “They've saved the world before. They're not going to hurt anyone.”

Star glanced at her Partner, but realized that he knew for a fact that this was the truth. He wasn't scared of them, powerful though they were, so she decided there was no need to be. It still didn't make her feel much better though. She let out a single low warning growl and then shifted to a watchful, but less threatening pose. The taller one turned to the shorter one, and though he began to speak they were too far away to make out words.

“Big dragon,” Jaden whistled to Yugi. “That's one brute.”

“It is,” Yugi replied. “And it doesn't seem to like us very much.”

“ _She probably is guarding the injured boy,_ ” Merlin said thoughtfully. He knew dragons well, considering he'd spent a long time fighting against a Blue Eyes White Dragon.

“How can you tell it's female?” Jaden asked. No one questioned the fact he could hear the Spirit. He heard all Spirits when they spoke. “We don't even know what this thing is.”

“ _Female dragons are more ferocious than males,_ ” Merlin replied with a shrug.

Great. Yugi wasn't looking forward to approaching a dragon he'd never heard of before that seemed angry at them for some reason. He supposed that she had been calmed down though. She appeared to be listening to someone, so he looked for the source of her sudden change in behavior. He found a sixteen year old boy looking at the large dragon, and he felt the same cold slap of reality across his face as before. He tapped Jaden's arm and motioned towards him.

Jaden turned his head to look at the boy as well and gasped at what he saw. There was no doubt in his mind that this was Yusei Fudo. Jaden had gone to school with Hakase Fudo, and when he looked at this boy he saw the same kind and thoughtful eyes that Hakase had once had. His hair was also in the same odd shape, though his bangs were different and he had yellow streaks running through it. Hakase had been a few years younger than Jaden, but they had gone to Duel Academy together.

Jaden and his gang had been great friends with Hakase and his friends, and they had been thrilled to hear that he and Yoko had gotten married, and even more so to hear about their young son. They were devastated to hear about the Zero Reverse, just knowing that the Fudo family had died there. However he had been proven wrong. Yusei Fudo had survived, and here he was, apparently battling Shadow Spirits for the fun of it. He liked the kid. He seemed smart like Hakase, but he definitely had the wild side of Yoko.

They thought it had been weird to find Jack Atlas alive, seeing as they also thought that the boy and his family had died. They had known Jack's father as well and his mother, but not nearly as well as they had Hakase. The two men had once had a rivalry but had seemed to make friends with one another at one point before the Zero Reverse. Finding Jack had been a relief to them, but finding Yusei would be more so.

“He looks just like him,” Jaden managed. Yugi didn't have to ask what he meant.

“He does,” Yugi agreed. “So we know who we're looking for now. We need to talk to him. I'm not sure what's going on, but there definitely seems to be something off about this whole thing. First Jack and Yusei? Both with dragons we can't name?”

Jaden nodded. He understood what he meant. It certainly did seem odd, and Yami seemed to think so too. He supposed the best thing they could do would be to approach them and try and seem as peaceful as possible. Jaden paused though as he felt a claw tap his shoulder, and looked over it to find Yubel looking at the dragon.

Yubel was a strange demon from the Shadow Realm, and though she seemed to have a mostly female voice and claimed to be female, he wasn't too sure. Her right half was more female, and her left half was more male. On her male half she had a thicker arm and leg and green eye, and her female half had a breast, a more rounded hip, and her eye was orange. She had a single sideways eye on her forehead, and her hair was silver and blue. She had bat like wings and magenta colored skin with some black markings. She also wore mismatched clothing with one human foot and one foot with talons. However she got along well with dragons generally.

“ _ **I feel like I've seen her kind before somewhere,**_ ” she told him. “ _ **I can't remember where. But I don't think her kind is very dangerous. She looks more protective than aggressive.**_ ”

“Towards the boy?” Jaden asked in reply.

“ _ **I think so,**_ ” Yubel replied. “ _ **Approach with caution, but don't fear her. I don't think she particularly wants to attack.**_ ”

Yugi was silent, as were Neos and Merlin as they waited to see what Yubel had said. It was obvious to all of them that it had been Yubel, mostly because he had looked to his left to speak when Neos was on his right, and he wasn't addressing anyone else. Yubel turned and met Yami's gaze. The ghost seemed to be mostly lost in thought, but he nodded to Yubel to tell her that he agreed. They needed to go forward. With this in mind she motioned Jaden forward.

Jaden fearlessly stepped forward with Yubel following close behind, and the others soon joined them, confused a little though. Yusei paused when he looked up again and spotted them coming closer. But he also got the odd feeling of being watched. He was sure that there was someone else there, someone that he couldn't see. He looked back to Star, noticing her looking at something that he couldn't see. He turned his eyes again and focused on the same spot that she was looking at.

His right arm gave a pang and he reached towards it. It was his injured arm, so he didn't really think much of it. When he looked up again, he was utterly startled to see two more people there than he had seen previously. One was a strange creature that he wasn't sure if it was male or female. The other appeared to be human, but he was wearing clothing that could only be described as Egyptian. The stranger creature held his attention more, and he watched it pause in surprise as his eyes met hers. He could see her?

Jaden and Yugi hadn't noticed the disturbance and walked right up to Yusei. Both gave him smiles as they greeted him, finally noticing the perplexed look on his face. He drew his attention away from Yubel though and finally turned to look at them.

“Hello,” Jaden greeted. “Yusei Fudo right?”

“Yes?” he replied, unsure of their intentions here.

“I'm Jaden Yuki, and this is my teacher Yugi Moto,” Jaden introduced them politely. “And this is Merlin, the Dark Magician, and Neos, a Neos Duel Spirit.” Yusei was a little too confused by their presence to do more than nod politely.

“ _And who_ _are_ _your other two friends?_ ” Star asked pointedly. Yusei glanced at her, realizing that she must have seen them. The question in his mind now though, was why could he?

Jaden seemed unsure how to respond, and Yugi did as well. Star seemed to be acting a little rudely now, but they weren't sure they wanted to point this out. Merlin was right in saying that female dragons were more ferocious than males. However both Yami and Yubel paused, surprised at this question. Yusei wasn't refuting it or asking what she meant. Yubel was now sure, but wanted to do one more thing to make absolutely sure of it.

She leaped over Jaden's shoulder, making him jump a little. Then she landed in front of Yusei and leaned towards him a bit, looking him over. Yusei leaned back in surprise to avoid having her face come too close to his. Jaden blinked in surprise at the reaction, knowing full well that people couldn't see Yubel. Yet he had! Yubel smiled a little, pleased that her deduction was correct and crossed her arms, looking at Yusei and folding her wings back.

“ _ **I thought so,**_ ” she said. “ _ **You can see me, and Yami too. You were certainly looking at us both. That's a strange ability to have. Few people can actually see us.**_ _ **My name is Yubel.**_ ”

“It's not exactly something that happens often,” Yusei admitted. “I couldn't see you, not at first. But then I could. I'm not sure why.”

At this response, both Yami and Yubel seemed to be considering. What did he mean? How had he been unable to see them and then suddenly able to see them? It seemed very odd, and a little too coincidental. Then they glanced towards the dragon, who was watching Yubel very closely. She had seen them too. Neos and Merlin knew of their presence, but they never actually saw the two of them. The fact that she saw them as well was odd.

Yubel studied Yusei's face a moment, noticing the beautiful mark. She recognized it instantly as the mark of a Partnership with a Duel Spirit, and realized that the dragon must have been his partner. They seemed rather comfortable with each other. Was his new ability because of a strange connection with this dragon? She wasn't sure, but she was pretty sure that she had heard of this kind of dragon at least one before. She couldn't put her finger on it. She must not know much at all.

“ _ **So the dragon is your Partner,**_ ” Yubel stated more than asked to Yusei. “ _ **I understand why she's so nervous, but she's being a little rude. Can you tell us her name since she refuses to introduce herself?**_ ” Yusei looked at the dragon.

“Her name is Star,” he replied. Star snorted a little in annoyance but said nothing. She seemed very unsure of Yubel. Jaden decided to try and break the ice.

“Hello Star,” he said with a smile. “Would you mind returning to your human form? You're kind of large.” Star was quiet for a long while.

“ _Fine,_ ” she growled nervously. “ _But only because you asked so nicely._ ”

“I try to be nice,” he replied, getting a confused look from the dragon and her Partner. “Oh sorry. I talk to Duel Spirits. I can hear their voices, even if they're not my own Partner.”

Yusei had heard rumors of the same thing, but he'd never really been sure if he had believed it. He was a little more confused now, finding the two heroes more unusual than he had first thought. Star returned to her human form, and they were surprised to see that she was not only a very beautiful young human, but a white haired one as well. Her eyes were odd too, giving her an unearthly look. Now the mark on her face was visible as well, and it shimmered in the same way that Yusei's did.

Yubel watched the boy a moment, seeing that he was unsure what was going on. But he was taking this odd situation very well and not making much of a scene about it, if any at all. She found she liked him. He really was just like his father, calm and collected. She glanced back at Yami, who seemed even more interested in the boy now. Yami could be a very quiet and mysterious creature when he wanted to be, but he at last stepped forward.

“ _ **Yusei, correct?**_ ” he asked politely. When Yusei nodded an affirmative, much to Yugi's surprise, he continued. “ _ **Tell me, have you seen anything strange happening?**_ ”

“Other than the fact that a Shadow Spirit attacked the Satellite,” Yusei asked in reply. “and I can see you and Yubel now?”

Yami also found that he liked the boy. He was obviously very intelligent. Though he wasn't sure what was going on, he was sure that there was something going on. His eyes were both kind and very attentive. Yami then turned to look at the girl with white hair. She seemed interested in them as well, but nervous of their presence. She didn't seem like an unkind creature though. Yami found them intriguing. He turned then to look at Yugi as he continued speaking, giving the shorter man a very serious face.

“ _ **So you have realized that there is something odd going on,**_ ” the Pharaoh said. “ _ **Tell me though, why did you fight against that Shadow Spirit?**_ ”

“I couldn't let it get past me,” he replied. “This place may be forsaken by the City, but there are still people here. I couldn’t let the get hurt.”

“ _ **So you faced it,**_ ” Yami continued. “ _ **With no more help than what this dragon could give you?**_ ”

“Yes,” Yusei replied. “I know it was reckless and I know that I'm lucky to be alive. We got very lucky in the whole situation.”

“ _ **Yet you still fought it,**_ ”

“Yes,”

Yami was quiet for a while, doing nothing more than looking right at Yugi. Yugi felt an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. He'd seen that look before, once before when they had first met Jaden. Yubel seemed to notice the silent tension between them, a battle of wills. She looked between the two then back at the boy. Poor Yusei was too confused by the whole situation to make much sense of it. In the silence, Merlin turned at last to Yugi and spoke very quietly.

“ _We both know what he wants,_ ” he said in a quiet enough voice that only Neos, who was closest, could hear what the Dark Magician was saying to his Partner. “ _He has never been wrong before. He pointed out Jaden even though he didn't seem to be the type that would fight a war like the one he faced. I think we should trust him in this._ ”

Yugi understood this as well, but he hesitated. It wasn't that he didn't trust Yami, he truly did trust him. But it felt by once again accepting this responsibility and taking in his second student, that he was thrusting the world into yet another battle. It was like by him accepting the advice of the Ancient Pharaoh and having another student after so many years, that he was taking the weight of the world onto his shoulders again. Yugi had never been one for carrying burdens. He wasn't as timid as he had been in high school, but he certainly didn't want to go through it again.

However Yami did not look away from him. He was giving Yugi a clear message. Yami had been around for many thousands of years, and he was very perceptive to powerful magic, and a magic that bound others to each other, a magic he called fate. Yugi knew this well, and he knew that he wasn't going to back down any time soon either. As if to help convince him further, Yubel spoke again, folding her arms and looking over her shoulder at Yugi as well.

“ _ **He's selfless,**_ ” she said. “ _ **And a hard worker.**_ ” She motioned to his tools. “ _ **Plus he's kind and intelligent.**_ ”

“ _ **Yubel makes good points as well,**_ ” Yami said with a small smile. Yugi couldn't hear her, but if she was on his side as well it would be that much harder for Yugi to say no.

Yugi began to frown thoughtfully as he quietly looked at the ground. Yusei was even more confused now, not really understanding what they were talking about now. Star looked just as perplexed as she walked over and stood next to Yusei, looking between the two strange spirits and the short man. Yugi seemed to be thinking hard, and Yusei wasn't sure why he was thinking about him in such a difficult manner.

Martha came outside then, followed by Dr. Schmidt. No doubt they had come to bring Yusei back inside for the day. However both paused when they saw two such famous figures outside, unsure what they were supposed to do at that point. Jaden though, upon seeing Dr. Schmidt, smiled and waved at him in his usual carefree way.

“Hey Dr. Schmidt,” he said. “You're still hanging around here in Satellite?”

“Yes well,” Schmidt said, a little relieved to have broken the odd silence. “I always felt I was more needed here, where people don't have access to hospitals. It's a good thing I was here too. Martha practically raised Yusei, so she knows what he's like, but rash usually isn't one.”

“Exactly,” Martha said. “Which is why I would like to know what's going on here.”

“Dr. Schmidt,” Yugi said suddenly. “When are you planning on releasing your patient?”

“Next week, why?” the doctor asked in confusion.

“Because I think I've found myself a new student,” Yugi replied.

Both Yami and Yubel smiled, knowing that it had only been a matter of time before his determination had broken down. Yugi was a good teacher and a powerful spell caster, but he wasn't one for confrontation. Jaden gave Yusei a thumbs up, which the boy could only respond to with an utterly shocked face. Martha and Dr. Schmidt had faces that reflected Yusei's own. Star just seemed to have no idea what was going on.

“You want Yusei to study under you?” Martha asked in surprise, torn between her confusion and questioning why and pride for the boy she had raised as her son.

“That's right,” Yugi said. “He would come study at Duel Academy with the other students, but I would be his main instructor. I think there's something special about this young man. I can have the papers drawn up in a week and his citizenship papers changed so he wouldn't be deported back.”

Yusei was just extremely surprised. Why had he picked him? What was so special about him that the King of Games would consider taking him as his student? But also he was nervous. He'd dreamed about leaving the Satellite for many years, and now that he had the chance he was hesitating. Did he really want to leave? This place was his home, and the only one he'd ever known.

Martha knew what was on his mind. She always had, and she was like a real mother to him. She knew what he was thinking of, and the doubts in his mind. But she also knew that he would have decided to go in the end. He would beat himself up about it all he liked, but he would go. Not because the City was better or for a better life, but for the people of the Satellite, for the hope it would give them that there was a chance of a better life for them all. She met Yusei's eyes, giving him a clear message. He blinked but nodded.

“It would be an honor,” he told Yugi, who nodded. Jaden smiled a huge crooked smile and gave him another thumbs up.

“That's the spirit,” he said. “Just try not to be so formal all the time. You're making me feel old.”

“I'll be back at the end of the week to bring you to the Academy,” Yugi said, nodding to him, aware that Yubel and Yami were still smiling at him.

Yusei wasn't sure what else to say. How had his life gone from being so peaceful to being so strange in less than two weeks? It seemed too much like a dream, but every time he awoke he found the mark on his face and Star nearby, reminding him once again that it was not a dream. Now he was going to end up being famous (admittedly again) just because of who his new teacher was. But he wasn't just going to be going to Duel Academy, but as a special circumstance. Suddenly the brightly shining streets of New Domino City looked foreign and strange.

“Hey Star,” Jaden said suddenly. “We're going to be cleaning up the mess that was made during the battle, especially that corpse. We can't have it laying around. Do you mind giving us and the guys a hand? We might need it.”

Star glanced at Yusei, confused by the suddenness of this whole situation. He seemed even more so, but he had accepted, so she would be coming with him. She supposed the easiest way to figure out more about the people they'd be having contact with was to get to know them more personally. Besides she didn't want to leave that carcass laying around where someone could touch it and be affected by the poison that was still coursing through it. She turned to look at him.

“ _Alright,_ ” she said. “ _But I'm nervous to leave Yusei alone._ ”

“ _ **I'll look after him for you,**_ ” Yubel promised. “ _ **I may not be visible in this world, but I am still a creature in it. I can protect him if it absolutely comes to it.**_ ”

Star wasn't too sure how she felt about the strange creature hanging around her Partner, but she didn't really mind her that much, dark though she was. She seemed a lot like herself, and it seemed like she understood dragons well. She sensed a dragon like spirit within her, whatever she was. Finally she nodded, and Jaden smiled.

“That's settled then,” he said. “We'll be back soon.”

With that Jaden turned and headed off in the direction that the battle had taken place, and Neos followed him with a bemused Star. Yugi sighed but turned to follow, with Yami following behind and Merlin. Unlike Yubel, Yami was stuck with Yugi whenever he decided to appear in the human world. He couldn't get very far away. Yubel on the other hand was a separate creature from Jaden. Though she had often shared her powers with him and (as she had the mostly annoying power to do) possessed him and others, she wasn't tied to Jaden by any physical bond. It was more of a mental one between her and Jaden, a friendship that had sprouted between them.

That left the strange demon standing beside Yusei, her arms still folded as she watched the others walking away. There was a silence now between all of them, and Yusei knew that he couldn't talk to Yubel now without making the two adults worry that he had lost his sanity. They couldn't see her after all, and they had no proof of her existence other than his word. He was quiet and Yubel remained that way too. She knew it would be hard for him to resist the temptation to talk to her if she spoke to him. At last though Martha turned to him with a smile.

“My the years have passed,” she said. “You be a good boy when you leave, and don't get into anymore trouble if you can help it, alright?” Yusei nodded.

“You should be proud boy,” Schmidt added with a smile. “Not many people get the opportunity that you do, to leave the Satellite. We'll miss you around here, but your talents are better used elsewhere, just as mine were.”

“I'll help you get packed,” Martha said, going back inside and making a mental checklist in her head of all the things he'd need to take with him.

There was silence once again as Dr. Schmidt watched his patient a moment, examining him for what he could be thinking. Yusei was confused and unsure what to do. He had basically just been taken under the wing of one of the most powerful Duelists and Spell Casters in the world. Is this how Jack had felt when Seto Kaiba had found him. Unsure what else to say, he glanced sideways at Yubel.

“What just happened?” he asked aloud.

This got an amused chuckle from the demon. Dr. Schmidt naturally thought he was talking to him and also smiled and shook his head a little. Yusei just closed his eyes, thinking that this was going to be a very long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Yusei. That was a little sudden for him. But he's on his way soon to the Duel Academy! There we'll meet some other characters that pop up in different Yugioh Series, OC's (of course) and other such characters. I hope you're enjoying the story so far!  
> Thanks for your support so far! It means a lot that you guys like this story so much!


	6. Dragon Mark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the support that you guys have given me so far! It means a lot to me! Anyway I'll continue writing now. I don't have many shout outs or anything, though I want you guys to know that it means a lot that you keep commenting, and keep bringing up questions if you find them. I'll be sure to answer them as we continue through the story.   
> Thanks to The 8 elements for favoriting the story!  
> This chapter is to help the story move a little slower than it has been. It will have Star working with Jaden and Yugi to help move some things and help make the Satellite better than it was. Also it's here that we'll get to see Yubel and Yusei interacting together, and at one point Yubel's going to have to step in to help Yusei. ;) Should be interesting right?

Yusei found himself more nervous than ever to be left alone with the silent demon. Yubel had her arms crossed as usual, standing just behind Yusei and keeping her perceptive eyes on everything that might prove to be a threat. She had promised to look after the boy, and she was one to keep her promises. Besides, she remembered his father too. She had been hanging around Jaden for a long time, and she had found herself fond of the man, even if he never saw her. He'd never questioned Jaden about her like many of his other friends, but simply accepted.

She turned her eyes to look at the boy now. Yes, he looked almost exactly like his father, and it was like seeing him again after all those years and that accident. She knew he could never be exactly like his father or probably even act like him, but he had a good heart. Maybe he didn't really smile much, or even apparently show much emotion at all. But he was well loved here, and that alone was enough to tell her that he was a good person.

It was rather quiet now seeing as Yusei had returned to his room. She understood why though, he still looked absolutely exhausted even though it had no doubt been a while now. That Shadow Spirit had taken a toll on him, and though his wound was healing it seemed that things were happening far too quickly for the poor boy. He was handling it well, but he was still very confused.

She noticed him reach for his right forearm, which was still up in its sling. She paused a moment as she watched him, wondering if it was his injuries bothering him. She almost immediately threw out that theory though since he clutched at it tightly and didn't wince from it. Come to think of it, she was sure that when Dr. Schmidt was working on his arm earlier, she hadn't seen any wounds on it at all. Intrigued she turned to look at him.

“ _ **Why do you keep doing that?**_ ” Yubel asked, making Yusei pause and look up at her. “ _ **Grabbing your arm like that. Does it hurt?**_ ”

“Y-Yeah it does,” he replied. Then he furrowed his brows. “Which is odd. I'm not injured down there, but it keeps bothering me.”

“ _ **Really?**_ ” Yubel asked, surprised to hear it from him. “ _ **Then why is it bothering you? Has anything strange happened?**_ ”

“I don't know,” he replied. “Not since I could suddenly see you and Yami. But it began bothering me after Star and I made our contract.”

Yubel paused thoughtfully and began to think carefully, weighing the options. Why had it only started after the contract was made? Were he and this dragon more important than they had originally thought? Yami had certainly seemed to have taken a much greater interest in Yusei than he had anyone else since Jaden, and they knew how that had turned out. Yami didn't just take an interest in anyone or for no good reason.

She found her eyes glued to his arm suddenly, wondering what that jacket sleeve and glove were really concealing from her gaze. She let the subject drop, at least verbally. But Yusei was more perceptive than she would have thought to her emotions. He turned to look at her, watching her like she was a book he could read.

The serious and thoughtful gaze he gave her reminded her even more so of his father then. Hakase had given Jaden the same gaze years ago before he had agreed to help Jaden on his quest in whatever way he could. But there was something far too impassive and serious in his face. It made her a little sad to see him having to grow up so quickly. Then again, this was the Satellite where he had been born and raised. Even if he had been a part of Team Satisfaction, he knew what this place had been like before then. The Satellite certainly looked like a bad place to have to spend your childhood. There was more cheer in her home in the Shadow Realm!

Then again, Jack's eyes had been much the same when she had seen him first arrive. He was doing better now, because as serious a teacher as Kaiba was, he was also not cruel. He let the boy have some time to do things that were more fun and Jack had opened up wonderfully. Yusei had never had that chance in his life. She felt herself angry all over again at the fact that they had tried to help the Satellite time and time again and had always been stopped. These were people too! The same people as those in New Domino City, only split from them by the sea.

She quickly shook the thoughts from her head though and let the fanged snarl fall from her face again. It seemed to have made Yusei a little nervous. She couldn't blame him though, seeing how she probably appeared to be a very evil looking creature to him. She simply folded her arms again and looked out the window over the Satellite. This place seemed far more sad than it had ever looked when she had seen it from the shores of the City.

She stood there silently for a while, pondering everything she had recently learned and wondering how it was going to help them. They had little to no information to go off of, and this boy was only seeming to make the mystery worse than it had been before. She let out a quiet sigh, and Yusei's slightly perplexed expression matched her own. She knew this feeling well, the feeling of waiting when you know something was wrong.

Both paused however as they heard a commotion downstairs. Yusei stood and turned to look towards the door. It sounded like someone had started a fight down there, but for what? He could hear Martha raising her voice and Dr. Schmidt as well, and Rally somewhere down there sounded terrified. Tank and Nervin were yelling, but Blitz was yelling the loudest. Yubel turned to face the door as well, completely surprised. Dr. Schmidt was well loved in the Satellite, of that she was sure. So what was going on down there?

They could hear someone running up the stairs and down the hallway, accompanied by yells from downstairs and pursuing feet. Yusei glanced around, unsure why they were coming up here or what was going on. He found he couldn't really think of anything. There was a yelp from the pursuers and the other unknown person continued on their way. The door to his room was suddenly thrust open and he found a girl standing there.

Yusei wouldn't have been very concerned with the fact that a child had entered his room, except his arm suddenly gave another pang. He winced but winced himself from reaching for it. He had a bad feeling about her, like there was something far more sinister about her than there had appeared to be. He felt a feeling of dread beginning to flow over him as he watched the girl, and the pain in his arm was only encouraging it. Yubel noticed his unease and also found herself bristling.

Yusei heard someone call his name from somewhere else, fear etched into their voice. He wasn't sure who this girl was or why she was here, but that gave him even less reason to trust her. There had been a loud commotion downstairs and then this girl had appeared. He didn't particularly feel like trusting the person who had just caused it. Yubel seemed to feel the same way, and she bristled and growled at her. She had a bad feeling about this girl, as innocent as she looked.

She appeared to be around the same age as Luna and Leo, but she had dark black hair that was cut to around her shoulders. Her eyes were an unnerving shade of silver, and not the beautiful silver that was on Star, but a dead and cold one. She smiled as she saw Yusei and twirled around a little, as if trying to make herself look as innocent as possible for him. But she continued to stand in the door as she shut it, seeing as Yusei couldn't make the jump at the window himself because of his arm.

“I found you,” the girl announced happily. “My big brother sent me to find you.”

“Your big brother?” Yusei asked, not sure he liked the sound of that. She just giggled and nodded.

“He said you have a birthmark just like him,” the girl said. “Only yours is red not purple.”

Yusei froze at this, completely surprised. A birthmark? As far as he knew he didn't have any birthmark at all. Even so, he glanced down at his injured arm suddenly as if the answer to the question was there. The girl just continued to smile as she watched him, and he slowly pulled the arm out of its sling. With it now showing he pushed up his jacket sleeve and pulled off his glove. Both he had Yubel utterly froze at what they saw, and Yusei gasped.

It looked like a tattoo or something, but it was red and in the shape of a dragon's head. There was nothing else it could be. Yusei felt a little fear sparking through him again as he stood there staring at the strange mark. He'd never seen it before. He knew he'd never had a mark here before now! The exact same spot that the mark was in suddenly gave another pang of warning. The girl laughed and clapped as she looked at it.

“See I knew it,” the girl cried. “It's just like big brother's, except red, just like he said!”

“Wh-Who are you?” Yusei gasped. He was confused how this girl could have known about the mark before even he had. He wasn't liking her anymore than before now.

“My name is Kira,” she replied, twirling some of her hair on the end of her finger. “Will you be my big brother too?”

“Who is this big brother of yours?” Yusei asked with a nervous growl. “And why is he so interested in me?”

Kira just giggled as she looked at him. There was a sound from outside as people began to recover from the girl's attack downstairs, whatever that had been. She seemed to grow concerned with this suddenly and turned to look at Yusei again, who did not look comfortable with her presence at all.

“Come with me,” she pleaded with large and sad eyes. “Big brother says he needs your help.”

“I don't even know who this big brother of yours is,” Yusei replied. “I'm not going anywhere.”

Someone had reached the door now and was moments from pushing it open and rushing inside. The girl's eyes flashed dangerously, and though she continued to smile at him, he felt that he was seeing the more nefarious side of her now. He tensed as she raised a hand towards his head and pointed her finger at it. Nearly instantly Blitz opened the door and Yusei spotted Tank and Blitz outside the door. The two men gasped, obviously seeming to know something that he didn't.

“You're coming with me,” Kira said. “Big brother said so, even if I have to drag you there.” She closed her eyes to use a spell and Yusei realized too late what kind of spell caster she was. “Break the mind and the will and bend it to my own. Mind Web.”

Yusei had enough time to catch himself before he fell onto his injured hand. He felt the girl's mind enter his own, and it was one of the most terrifying things he'd ever felt. He'd never been trained to fight against a psychic Magic Caster. He heard Tank and Blitz call something out to him, and Yubel began murmuring her own spell.

 _Stand up,_ Kira demanded. _And follow me. We're leaving._

Yusei felt his body fighting against his own will to respond and follow her order. He sat there a moment, trembling and wondering what had happened or why. He did realize though that this was what had caused the commotion downstairs. She had obviously taken control of someone else and that had made everyone else unwilling to attack their friend. Blitz and Tank were frozen in the doorway, watching in horror. Yusei felt Yubel's hand lay on his shoulder suddenly, and to his surprise, he felt yet another mind enter his.

* * *

 

Star paused, her eyes narrowing as she looked back in the direction that Yusei was in. She wasn't sure how, but she knew something wasn't right. Yubel had promised to look after her, but how much could she trust her? Either way, she didn't have proof that something was indeed wrong at all, and it would be rude to leave these people.

She was one of the biggest monsters here, and undoubtedly one of the strongest. There were other dragons around, but only three adults and they were males. One was a Blue Eyes White Dragon, a younger male that was sure to stay clear of her claws. There was also a Red Eyes Black Dragon who had several scars across his muzzle and approached her warily but fearlessly. She let the old scarred one pick up and move the pieces of the corpse or pieces of broken buildings as he so chose. The last was a Five Headed Dragon, a less common type of dragon. Each of the heads seemed to have a separate personality, including one that was overly friendly and one that was overly reserved.

The work was going smoothly for now. The dragons were doing much of the heavy lifting because their Partners couldn't, and smaller and weaker monsters were being sure to keep overly curious people away from the dangerous site. Also helping with some of the lifting was Neos and Merlin, who were now both in their true forms. Neos couldn't lift as much as the dragons, but he was stronger than his size suggested. Merlin on the other hand was using his powerful magic to lift many of the heavy objects as well and move them.

Neos as a strange humanoid creature that wore no clothes and was well muscled. His body was smooth and covered in blue and red markings. There was no indication of a face on the creature, but he worked hard and did well with the children whenever he passed them. Merlin on the other hand was a tall looking man, wearing all purple robes, boots and a pointed hat. He had a long staff in his hand that let him cast his powerful magic. His hair was purple as well and his eyes blue, and his face remained as expressionless as ever, though sometimes a smile would touch it for a moment.

They were both very serious Duel Spirits, but they had fought in wars. Both of them had, and as she watched them going about their work as she lifted the huge creature's skull to move it, she wondered if she was doing the same with Yusei now. She turned her mind back to the work at hand. There were police scattered all about her feet, both from the Satellite and from the City, and she didn't want to crush them with this skull. She hefted it in her claws, straining against the weight of it, but she managed to keep a hold of it.

To avoid hurting anyone at her feet, she dug her claws into the skull and took into a short flight. The skull was far too heavy for her to carry long, but she had enough power to lift it to the large trucks that had been brought over on a ferry from the City. Once inside they would be taken away to where they could be safely disposed of.

She checked her course and flew over to one of the containers that was mostly empty. It had to be to fit the huge skull. She landed carefully on the thick rim of the container and braced again. She let out a low growl as she began to lower the skull carefully into the box when she was given the go ahead by one of the police. She didn't know much about human society, but she knew the police were supposed to be there for protection. She managed to get it most of the way down but was then forced to drop it the rest of the way in, causing the whole truck to shake and make the people surrounding wobble a little. She again took flight to clear the area as the lid was replaced on the top of the truck.

On the ground she paused again. They weren't done yet, seeing as this area needed some more cleaning up and since they were here they might as well do it. But the corpse had been cleaned away and there was little chance of it hurting anyone again. Everyone seemed to be taking a break, and most of the dragons curled up next to their Partners and let them stroke them. She paused a moment as she watched them.

She hadn't let Yusei really pet her in her dragon form, but these dragons seemed to love the contact. She wondered how that would feel, and how it could be so pleasurable. Humans seemed to have an odd attraction to being close to their Partners. Even Neos and Merlin happily returned to their Partners for some attention, though they weren't pet like animals. She wanted to be angry and demand how they could all just act so submissive. It seemed wrong, and it appeared that the humans, who had so much less power than them could just pat them.

Jaden turned almost at once on his heel and suddenly approached, Neos close behind. She had decided that she liked Jaden, seeing as he could hear her when she spoke. All Duel Spirits could talk to one another, but having a human hear them was a different matter. Some how knowing that someone else besides Yusei hear her voice comforted her. As she thought again of Yusei she felt an odd sort of pang. Was this guilt? Because she thought of Jaden highly too? She wasn't sure what she would do if he did the same with another Duel Spirit. She hardly knew him after all.

Jaden didn't hesitate at all to walk right up to her now resting form. She was sitting as well as she could, resting on her back legs with them folded as far as they could go. Her tail was curled around her legs to keep her balanced, and her claws were hanging down to the ground as if her shoulders were suddenly bearing too much weight. She watched the progress of the Partners as they grew close and let Jaden flop down to sit against her tail. Neos stood just to the side, watching the dragon silently. She wasn't sure if she'd even heard him speak yet.

“Whew,” Jaden said with a huge smile. “I know you've got to be tired, I wasn't really even lifting anything and I am. Thanks again for your help Star.”

“ _You're welcome,_ ” she replied simply, turning her head in Yusei's direction again. She felt oddly lonely now that she was too far away to sense his presence.

Jaden instantly noticed her lack of interest in the situation and sat up, turning slightly to look at her. Neos too raised his head to look at her, carefully examining her in his silent way. She didn't notice them at first, but when Jaden moved again to stand and look at her more closely she turned her head back and paused when she noticed that they were both looking at her now.

“ _Something is troubling you?_ ” Neos asked simply in a powerful voice.

“ _I suppose so,_ ” she replied. “ _I just don't understand humans. I feel like I can trust Yusei, but at the same time I don't want to be his subordinate. We're meant to be Partners, yet when I look around here I only see Duel Spirits submitting to their Partners. It worries me._ ”

Jaden seemed to pause, unsure how to speak of her. Neos chuckled a little though. He knew that in the Spirit Realm the creatures all viewed each other as equals, no matter what their size or power, though there were some who fought against that. In seeing the affection between the Partners she was nervous of what that meant to her. He met her gaze again.

“ _They are not submitting as you say,_ ” he replied. “ _Though there are those who only treat their Partners as slaves, none of these people do that. No it is trust that you see, not subordination. It is trust between both, trust that their more powerful partners won't hurt them, and trust from the Partners that they will honor their agreement and keep the pair as equals._ ”

“ _Trust?_ ” Star asked, looking around at the pairs again. “ _Is that why they seem to enjoy the contact?_ ”

“ _It is,_ ” Neos replied, nodding. If he could have smiled he would have. “ _These Partners have lived together for many years and protected each other in their own ways. There is nothing but a deep trust between them and their human Partners. Once you understand that, you'll be able to trust your own Partner with anything._ ”

It was here that Star paused and looked back in the direction that Yusei was in. She had protected him and saved his life, and she had even been the one to nearly instantly ask him to form a contract with her. She liked the human, and she felt she could trust him. Though she hadn't known him for very long, she knew he was just the kind of person you could trust with anything. Then another thought crossed her mind, one that made her both a little scared and a little sad at the same time. When she had offered the contract he had hesitated. Did that mean...?

“ _Then,_ ” she asked quietly. “ _Does that mean that Yusei doesn't trust me?_ ”

“What makes you say that?” Jaden asked, surprised by the question.

“ _He seems hesitant,_ ” Star replied. “ _And he's never once asked me to let him touch me._ ”

“No,” Jaden said with a smile. If that was all... “It's not that he doesn't trust you. Things are just happening too quickly for him. He's hesitant because he's very intelligent and knows many things, and he knows it's odd that you and he have a contract now. I think he also could sense how uncomfortable that you were feeling and he wasn't trying to push you. He seems very sensitive to others, even behind that indifferent mask of his.”

At this new piece of information Star went quiet again and looked in the direction that she had left Yusei in several hours before. He was sensitive? Yes she supposed so, just as she was in a way. She had let the children climb over her and play on her because they were just that, children. They were innocent and thought of her not only as another living creature, but weren't afraid of her because of her size or power. They were comfortable with her, just as they were comfortable with Yusei. That's another reason she liked him so much. Because he had shown the same gentle gleam in his eyes when the children come to him.

However it was then that she got the same foreboding as before, only stronger this time. Something wasn't right. She wasn't sure how she knew, but she definitely knew. She wanted felt it deep within her gut, the distinct feeling that her Partner was in danger. Without realizing it, her head was suddenly raised and her nostrils were flaring as she let out a low and dangerous growl. She had to find him and fast. Jaden leaped back in surprise, and Neos seemed just as surprised at her suddenly much more aggressive body language.

The growling caught the attention of every single human and Duel Spirit that was close enough to hear. Yugi and Merlin both froze and turned towards her, and Yami's eyes narrowed as he watched her. He could tell that something was off about this behavior. Jaden took a tentative step forward, and when he didn't receive her claws he spoke.

“Star?” he asked. “What's wrong?”

“ _I don't know,_ ” she replied truthfully. “ _But I have to go to Yusei NOW._ ”

She didn't waste a single moment more and stood, unfurling her wings to take flight. Before Jaden could say anything else though, Neos seemed to have made up his mind to go with her. The usually silent Duel Spirit grabbed his Partner under one arm -receiving a startled yelp in reply- and then leaped up with one bound onto the dragon's shoulder. He had time to anchor himself by grabbed one of the blade like spikes that ran down her back and adjust his grip on Jaden so he wouldn't fall before she leaped powerfully into the air, carrying them away with her.

* * *

 

Kira leaped back in surprise as she felt the other mind, then she yelped as she was forced completely from Yusei's mind. Yusei's trembling disappeared instantly. This was a far more powerful psychic possession magic, one that he absolutely could not fight. The mind was foreign and dark, but he found his fear calming as a voice spoke in his mind.

 _ **Made it,**_ Yubel sighed in relief. _**Don't worry Yusei, I've got you now. And I'm not as weak as she is. You're not going to like this, but at least she can't possess you and make you leave with her.**_

Yusei's friends just stared in confusion as Yusei sat there on his knees for a moment, then carefully put his sleeve and glove back in the right place and slid his arm back into its sling to avoid injuring it further. They were completely surprised, seeing as they had seen this little girl take over Nervin's mind and make him attack his friends downstairs. Poor Rally had been freaking out and unsure what to do, and Martha and Dr. Schmidt were now dealing with more injuries downstairs. The girl wanted Yusei, and they had been horrified to see that she had made it here and cast her spell before they could stop her. But it wasn't the same this time.

Yusei stood, and uncharacteristically put his uninjured hand on his hip as he stood there. Yubel had a habit of folding her arms, but seeing as how Yusei had an injured arm she didn't want to hurt him anymore. This was much preferable. She was relieved to when she realized he wasn't trying to fight her. That would have made her job much harder.

Blitz and Tank gasped in confusion and fear when they saw Yusei's eyes were no longer their normal shade of blue, but now orange. They'd also never seen such a defiant expression on his face before. Kira bristled and looked towards the boy now, knowing that there was something else here, something with powerful magic.

“Who are you?” she demanded. “How did you manage to do that.” It was Yusei who responded, and it was through his voice, but it didn't sound like him. Yubel was speaking through him.

“I should be asking you that,” came the reply. “What does this 'big brother' of yours want with Yusei anyway?”

“That's none of your business,” the girl practically shrieked. “I was told to bring him to big brother, so how did you break my hold over him when I already had him?”

Yubel chuckled through Yusei's lips, a very unnerving sound. Yusei's eyes gave her a chilling glare that made his friends very uncomfortable. They'd never seen that kind of look in his eyes before. They weren't sure which was worse, the girl or the invisible spell caster that could speak through their friend. Either way they wanted to help but were unsure what to do.

“That's easy,” Yubel replied. “It's because I've been practicing psychic possessive magic much longer than you. I don't have to order someone to do anything. While they're completely aware of the situation their body responds to my will.” She then glanced towards Yusei's terrified friends. “Calm down. He already knew I was here. If I hadn't been your friend would have already been on his way with this girl. I'm no enemy of yours or his.”

This didn't really seem to calm them down much, and Yusei couldn't blame them. Yubel was invisible to their eyes, which he was suddenly glad for. If they saw her it wouldn't make matters any better. She wasn't exactly a very comforting sight. She had her arms crossed and her eyes were open. Unlike the girl, she didn't have to concentrate on what Yusei was doing. It was second nature to her to control him like she would her own body. The thought made him a little uneasy.

“I've never seen such powerful magic from a human spell caster,” Kira growled. Yubel responded with another unnerving chuckled.

“Who said I was human?” Yusei's lips responded for him. “I'm a demon from the Shadow Realm, though I've been helping humans for many years. If you want Yusei you're going to have to go through me. I'm in the room, though you can't see me, and I can cast spells while still possessing him so you can't. Do you want to try it?”

From the Shadow Realm? That seemed to explain a lot to Yusei, though it made his friends more nervous than ever. Kira seemed to be watching Yusei's eyes for a long minute, as if trying to read them. Then she suddenly jumped as if a cold wind had brushed past her. She blinked and looked closer, then snarled a little.

“You're the Demon Guard,” Kira said. “The female demon that is said to help without being seen. Yubel, correct?”

Yubel and Yusei were both a little surprised that she knew so much. Yubel bristled now more than ever though Yusei didn't respond either way. How could she know so much about not only Yusei, but now her as well? Where was she getting the information? As it was, Yusei's friends seemed to grow a little less nervous but also confused. They'd heard of Yubel before, the one who was said to help Jaden in his battles, but like most people she was little more than myth added into the story. To most people she wasn't real and there was no proof of her. Yet now they were apparently seeing living proof of the silent demon? Yusei's eyes narrowed in response.

“I am,” came the reply.

Kira only began to bristle more at the confirmation. However Yusei's friends were beginning to believe that this strange creature, whatever it was, truly didn't mean their friend harm. She had put his arm back into the sling so it could heal more right? Blitz seemed to decide suddenly that this was the case. He grabbed the girl and jumped out of the doorway, looking up at the surprised Yusei and Yubel.

“You're here to help right?” he cried. “Then go! Don't let him get hurt more!”

Yubel didn't need anymore encouragement than that. Yusei's body automatically leaped forward, with Yubel just behind to keep the little girl from attacking him again. Even with as injured as Yusei was, his body was more agile than it had been before, seeing as Yubel was controlling him and she was more agile than he was. She dashed down the stairs into the confused front room, where Rally screamed again and Nervin was out cold on the ground. Yusei felt sorry for the horrible bump on the boy's head. But Yubel whirled around suddenly.

Kira was right behind them, and she looked furious. She launched another spell at them that she had been murmuring on the way down the stairs, this one being a fire attack. That wasn't uncommon for psychic spell casters. Though they had a certain brand of magic that they used in their psychic powers, they had a secondary element that they used. She seemed to have decided that if she couldn't control Yusei and bring him in, she'd have to fight past Yubel and injure him to do so.

Yubel had expected this though, and threw up her own dark barrier to keep the spell from hitting the boy. The others had to leap out of the way as the fire arched around the barrier, but no one was hurt because of the attack, only making Kira snarl more.

“Your attacks are fueled by anger,” Yubel taunted the girl through Yusei's lips. “You won't defeat me like that. Back off.”

There was a lot of confusion after that, with everyone trying to understand what was happening and why Yusei was acting this way. Yubel took advantage of that to dash out of the door and out into the sunlight. Her best bet was to get Yusei near Jaden or Yugi so she couldn't touch him again. She kept Yusei going in a straight line right towards the place she knew they would be, careful though to not injure him again.

He didn't make it far before his exhaustion started taking over him again, and his pace began to slow. Yubel glanced back to see that the girl was still chasing them, and she looked furious. No doubt Blitz and Tank had made it downstairs to explain the situation to everyone else. She ducked down a street as soon as she could to try and shake the girl off. It didn't work. She was hot on their tail.

They reached a more open area, and Yubel turned to face the girl, stopping Yusei. She knew that she had to get the girl to pause again or Yusei would fall with exhausted as he was. She raised her clawed hands to begin casting another spell. But the scene was utterly interrupted by a furious roar and the thunder of wings.

Star came crashing down right behind Yusei, and her tail whipped around, taking a chunk out of a building as she did so. Neos leaped down off of her shoulder with Jaden under his arm, who then ran to Yusei and paused when he saw the color of his eyes. He knew those eyes anywhere. He froze abruptly and turned to look at this girl, wondering what could have made Yubel take such drastic measures.

“Yubel why did you possess Yusei?” Jaden asked, getting a growl from Star in response.

“The girl uses possession magic as well,” Yubel replied through Yusei's lips. “I wasn't going to release him until I had enough distance that she couldn't attempt again.” She gave Jaden a hard look. “She wanted to take him somewhere. Something about a mark being like Yusei's. He has a strange dragon mark on his arm. I don't know what this means, but I wasn't letting her take him either.”

Star felt trepidation running up and down her spine now, nervously watching the possessed body of her Partner. Was that what she had felt? Him being possessed? And how could someone else know about his mark? She'd only ever seen it once, so who else had known? She wrapped her arms around in front of him and bared her claws in front of his tiny body, creating a protective wall of ivory in front of him. Though the eyes that turned to her were not her Partner's eyes, she felt better in knowing that he somehow knew she was here to help him.

“Why would somebody want him?” Jaden asked, Neos now bristling and turning to face the girl in front of him.

“I don't know,” came the reply. “But she knew about me as well AND believed it was true. I don't know where she gets her information from, but we have to be careful.” She then turned Yusei to look at Star again. “I'm releasing him. Make sure you catch him.”

Star nodded just slightly and cupped her claws in front of him. Yusei felt the strange sensation of Yubel's mind pulling away from his. As soon as her control was gone he felt as if he had never been standing at all, and his legs gave way. He luckily though crashed down on his left side into Star's palm and was unhurt because of this. His eyes returned to their normal shade and he blinked in surprise at the world being seen through his own eyes again. Star purred to him as he managed to stand on his slightly shaking legs.

The dragon was relieved that he was alright, and she paused a moment. Then she wrapped the tip of her tail around him, hanging just behind his waist as she did so. She leaned her head down over his left shoulder and continued to purr, keeping the protective wall of her claws between him and his attacker. Yusei blinked at this new change in her, and she gently nudged his shoulder with her nose.

He didn't really think about it. It was the same as a dog that would want his attention, nudging him so he would pet it. He reached up and ran his hand down the smooth surface of her snout. It didn't feel like scales per say, but it didn't feel like skin either. She was warm to the touch though, and she began ceased making sound for a moment as he slowly pet her.

Star found that yes, the contact was enjoyable. It felt strangely good, knowing that he trusted her enough to touch her, and knowing that he wasn't going to betray her either. She was pleased to see a small smile touch his lips as well when her eyes met his unflinchingly. She felt an even stronger urge to protect the boy now and raised her head again, snarling and showing all of her teeth to the girl. Kira backed up a bit from the large dragon, then turned her eyes to the now glaring Jaden.

“Well what's it going to be girl?” he asked. “You're heavily outnumbered now, and I wouldn't suggest trying what you did earlier again with the dragon hanging around. Who do you work for?”

Kira didn't seem in the mood to respond. She turned instead and dashed away. Jaden bristled and seemed to think about going after her, but the decided against it. It wasn't a good idea to meet a psychic spell caster alone, especially if she was already fleeing. Star watched after the girl for a while, making sure that she was gone. Then she lowered her head again to let Yusei stroke the side of her jaw again. She kept her lips closed and her fangs away from his hand, and he obliged without fear.

Jaden turned to speak to Yusei but paused when he saw Yusei looking confused but otherwise fine, and stroking the dragon's face. Earlier she wouldn't have let him, but now she was perfectly content to do so. Star had feared that she might have lost Yusei, that something might have been horribly wrong. She was glad that everything had worked out fine, and she was more than willing to let him pet her now that she understood what it really meant. She started purring again, making the boy smile in return. Jaden couldn't help but smile a little too, but then turned back to Yubel.

“ _ **We knew this might be coming,**_ ” she said. He nodded.

“After the Arcadia Movement had disbanded,” he sighed. “We knew it was possible that the psychics would choose different paths. Some apparently joined the enemy, whoever they are. And they're after Yusei now. The question though is, why?”

“ _ **Psychics were always hated,**_ ” Yubel said thoughtfully. “ _ **Even if a world of spells and magic they were hated for their powers to possess or read the mind, and since they could use two types of magic. Perhaps our enemies made a deal with them of some kind? However our enemy remains as unknown as ever.**_ ”

The two turned to look at Yusei with more interest once again. He looked tired though, so they didn't bring up the question of this “birthmark” of his. Star on the other hand found herself more worried than ever about her Partner's safety. What could these people possibly want with him? And how could he be so important to them that they would try and take him away? She was now more determined than ever to keep him away from them. She brought her claws closer to his chest and laid her head as gently as she could on his shoulder, as if trying to embrace him in her much larger true form. Yusei just patted her jaw, knowing she was going to be worried for a while either way.

Yubel and Jaden's eyes remained on the strange pair, the huge and ferocious dragon that was now as tender as a kitten, and the silent boy that seemed to realize that something very odd was going on. What was happening now, and what did these two innocent souls have to do with it? They had no answer for that. Yubel found her eyes gravitating towards his right arm again, where that strange mark was.

She knew of many magical marks, and the one of his face and Star's when she was in her human form was one example of such a mark. There were others that were cursed and others that were meant for different purposes all together. What was this one meant for? She got the uncomfortable feeling that they were going to have to find out the hard way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm, I wonder what that “purple” mark could be? I mean it's not like you guys could guess why that is at all. And why do they want Yusei? There's a reason they do, but you're going to have to wait and see. I'll offer a little explanation soon, but I can't tell you everything now can I?   
> Anyway I hope you enjoyed the chapter (which got pretty long) and continue to enjoy as we continue our story. Things are going to be getting more interesting soon. ;)


	7. Castle of Glass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here we are again, staring another new chapter to Dragon Pact. This is one of the most fun stories I've ever written. While I love Yu-Gi-Oh in general (though the subbed version in my opinion is better because there's a nearly completely different storyline at parts) I've always loved 5ds. Why? Because I love dragons. ;) I've loved them since I was little and I about flipped a table when I heard that 5ds was basically nothing but dragons everywhere. So this is my salute to my love of that.   
> Thanks for all your support! It means a lot to me and I'll keep making chapters since you guys keep enjoying what I write! That last chapter might seem just a little bit random, but it will tie in with the story so don't worry about that. Kira is an OC, and there will be more of them. This is an AU after all.  
> Also this chapter is named after Linkin Park's “Castle of Glass” because I love that song. If you've ever heard the lyrics you'll understand why it's called this, especially at the chorus part. Though it does fit with 5ds well I think.

Yusei was staring out at the sea as it raged in the storm, Star curled up against his right side carefully as if to protect it against farther injury. They were both watching from the window as the wind tossed the rain and waves about into the air in a fury that seemed unmatched. Yusei had been moved rooms, to where here on the second floor they could just make out the waves that separated the Satellite from the City. Neither of them moved for a while as they watched the wind toss the water about in a beautiful, if not somewhat humbling display of power.

When they were younger, Crow and Jack had hated to see storms battering the Satellite like that. It made them feel small and weak, like they might be destroyed at any moment and swept away where no one would care what had happened. Yusei theorized that they were already at that point. The City really didn't seem to care either way if they lived or died, and they didn't send help, only law enforcement. Yet the wind had never scared him. The other two thought it was because he was a Wind Magic user, and maybe it was. But there was something else there too: fascination.

It seemed that Star was just as fascinated by the wind as well, and sat there with him for hours as the electricity flickered on and off in the storm and the untamed force howled mournfully outside. Neither of them said anything for a long while, not even really looking up when someone would enter the room, just always watching the wind outside.

Yusei wondered if Jack and Crow were having the same weather wherever it was they were, and if they were thinking about the same thing he was. He didn't dare think of Kiryu, not after what had happened. He didn't want to think about what the boy probably thought of him now. So he instead focused on thinking of Crow and Jack, who had basically been raised as his brothers. Yes, they had been raised as brothers, and they had gone their separate ways. But that didn't mean that he didn't miss them terribly and wonder about him.

Soon he was leaving for Duel Academy. There was no doubt that he would run into Jack again, but he did feel bad that he would probably never see Crow again, not with how their system worked here. He couldn't really do much though but wish him luck now. With everything that seemed to be going on, they'd all need it.

Yusei felt sad again to be leaving the Satellite, to never see the shores the same way again. He flopped back down onto his back and looked straight up towards the ceiling. Star turned to look at him as he did so, watching his face a long moment. Then she laid down on her back beside him and looked up at the ceiling too. For a while she was quiet, letting him think on his own. But then she turned her head to look at him again. Her amber eyes bore into the side of his head, making him turn to look.

“ _What's wrong?_ ” she asked.

“I don't want to leave,” he replied. “This has been my home since I can remember...well since I could always remember. I don't want to leave.”

“ _But you'll get a new chance at life,_ ” Star said pointedly. “ _You'll get to live and do things like you never have before. Don't you want to do that too?_ ”

“I don't think so,” he replied, frowning at the ceiling. “I'm just so...small. I've lived in such a small place for my whole life. I've never wanted more than this. And now that I have more I...I don't know what to do.”

Star paused a moment and sat up onto her side, looking at him closely. He blinked and met her unearthly gaze, reminded suddenly of Blaze. He had always been very perceptive to Yusei in general other than Jack, and he wondered if Star's strange appearance and this mark had anything to do with it. Either way, he met her gaze and waited, knowing she wanted to speak.

“ _You won't get anywhere if you keep your world locked up like this,_ ” she said. “ _That's why Martha insists that you go. Don't you have anyone that you want to make proud?_ ”

Yusei paused, pain suddenly clouding his gaze for a moment. Make someone proud? Yes he did. He wanted to make the whole Satellite proud. But there was someone else that he wanted to make proud, the same two people that he knew Jaden and Yugi had seen when they looked at him. He nodded slightly, almost to himself.

“Yes,” he replied. “My parents. I never met them, but Dr. Schmidt says they were good people. I hope I can make them proud, even if I'll never know them.”

“ _I think,_ ” Star said with a purr. “ _I think you already have. Look at you! Look at the good you've done here. Maybe you were small here, but you were meant for greater things. I know it._ ”

She tapped his right hand with her index finger for a moment, and he looked down at it. That mark? Yes he wasn't sure where he had gotten it, but there was something odd about it either way. Perhaps this mark did mean that he was meant for something greater, but he wasn't sure what and he wasn't sure he was up to it. He turned to look at Star, desperation shining in his eyes.

“But what if I'm not ready?” he asked. “What if I'm not strong enough?” Her eyes were hard and unwavering as she met his gaze.

“ _Then I'll be there,_ ” Star replied. “ _You have Wind Magic, so use it to fly. If your wings aren't strong enough then I'll be there to carry you, and you'll have to do the same for me. Besides, you won't be alone. Your friends will always be there, new and old alike, in your heart. As long as you have them you'll always be strong enough._ ”

Yusei blinked as he looked at Star a moment. She seemed to be his age, but she also suddenly seemed to be speaking words of wisdom into his ears, words he hadn't heard in a long time. He couldn't help but let a small smile touch his face. She wasn't going to let him back down, and even though Yusei wasn't that self confident she was confident in him enough for the both of them. He sat up again and let out a sigh.

“Thanks Star,” he said quietly.

The dragon smiled and let out a purr as well, sitting up and curling up against his right side as she had been before. He seemed to be in a much better mood than he had been before, and she was glad for that. If there was one thing that could motivate the boy, she knew that it was his friends back home here. Maybe he didn't know his parents, but she was sure when she said that his parents would be proud of him. He had done so much for so many people. She'd just have to whip him into shape and let him know that he was better than he thought he was.

They sat that way for a while, silence folding over them again. Star started to purr gently after a few minutes, which seemed to help Yusei relax a little more. He didn't question why or when she had suddenly become so affectionate towards him. Blaze after all, while he had liked Jack and had been affectionate in his own way, hadn't acted like this towards Yusei. If not for the identical marks on their faces and Star's eyes people might have thought they were dating. Perhaps Duel Monsters acted differently between Male and Female just like humans?

He thought then of her tale before about how her world was created. While it seemed both odd and strange he was sure that there were pieces of information he had missed. He felt an odd sensation to ask and know more. He had to know more.

“Hey Star,” Yusei said suddenly. “If there are only six original elements, why are there other elements? I mean Water is an element right?”

“ _Well yes,_ ” she replied. “ _Though there were six original elements other elements were created from them. They brought their powers together to create the world, so their powers also created other elements. Though Duel Spirits are all considered Equals in the Spirit Realm and no one is more important than the others the other elements that came afterward are known as the lesser elements._ ”

“Equals?” Yusei asked. “Aren't there others who don't see them as that way?”

“ _Of course,_ ” she replied. “ _That's why the strong protect the weak._ ”

“Like the Guardians of Duel Academy,” Yusei realized. “They do the same thing but here. Not everyone has powerful magic, so they are trained to help protect the Duel Spirits and Humans here. Maybe our worlds aren't so different as everyone thinks.”

“ _Maybe not,_ ” Star agreed with a smile.

Still, she Star found herself thinking that this world had a rather broken system. How could there be people like the Guardians and still have a place like the Satellite? She didn't really feel like questioning it though. She didn't want to ruin Yusei's good mood right now. She instead turned her attention to his injured arm. It was still in the sling, but it seemed to be getting better. Dr. Schmidt had given him some medicine that he was supposed to take every couple of hours, and Star made sure that he did so. Though, with this storm delaying their departure and the recent events that had happened, Jaden and Yugi were seeming to reconsider waiting.

Yugi had been making a lot of phone calls, and Yubel had been seen a few times by the two popping in randomly to check up on them. Jaden seemed as laid back as usual, except he was more vigilant than usual too, which seemed to be an impossible contradiction that only he could manage. Star couldn't blame them though. They didn't know if these strangers would try and make another grab at Yusei, and they wanted to keep him as close as they could just in case. The more eyes there were watching the boy the harder it would be to get their hands on him.

Not that his Partner was going to let anything happen while she was on watch. Star had become even more protective of Yusei since his last encounter, and like a Partner who had known her human for years, she hardly ever left his side. It did seem to give Yusei's friends comfort though to know that he was being so well guarded. Nervin was recovering from the beating his friends had been forced to put him under, though he bore them no ill will, and Rally was back to his usual antics. Everything had quieted down, but no one was willing to take chances again.

The door opened, interrupted the thoughts of both as they looked up. They found Yugi there, entering the room with the impassive eyes of Merlin and the watchful eyes of Yami following closely behind. The door was closed behind them and then Yugi looked up at the two of them, as if trying to measure something in the two of them. They seemed to meet his standards though, and he then nodded to himself.

“Well,” he said. “Everything settled. As soon as this storm lets up the two of you are making the journey back with us to New Domino City.”

“So early?” Yusei asked in some surprise. Yugi nodded.

“Dr. Schmidt and Martha both agreed that you would be safer there,” the short man replied. “The enemy, whoever they are, has already targeted you. I think you both know by now that there is something going on. There is a storm coming, an Ancient one, and it centers around the two of you, though it may also center around others. It'll be safer if the two of you are where we can keep an eye on you.”

Yugi leaned against the wall and seemed to frown in concentration for a moment as he thought of something. He didn't seem like the kind of person who'd saved the world once. Then again, neither did Jaden, and he didn't really seem to be either. While Yugi was a more smiling young man he had many nervous habits, and while Jaden was kind he had a tendency to be lazy. Yusei on the other hand had the emotional range of a cardboard box, at least on his face at most points. He knew that he wasn't exactly the face that the world would look up to. He glanced down at his arm, still in its sling. But it seemed this dragon mark said otherwise.

“Now,” Yugi continued. “Most people might not seem to like you at first. You'll be getting a full ride, and you won't have to take an entrance exam. My name is enough to get you right in. And people aren't going to like you for it. Be sure you find what friends you can and stick to them.”

“And because I'm from Satellite?” Yusei asked. Yugi seemed to wince at that question.

“No,” Yugi replied. “Most of the students don't care. While it's true that the Satellite is thought to be a place full of crime, they'll accept you as one of their own quickly enough. Some people might care, but I think mostly the hate you'll get will be from your name.”

“Fudo,” Yusei nodded knowingly. “Because people blame my father for the Zero Reverse.”

Yugi turned to watch Yusei a moment, his amethyst eyes never leaving Yusei's face. At the mention of the tragedy both Yami and Merlin fell silent and looked at the boy sadly. That's right. He was one of the children in his generation that had been orphaned by that explosion. Star was silent, but because she was confused. She'd never heard what the Zero reverse actually was, only that it had once happened. Looking at the sorrow on Yusei's face though, she felt she didn't want to.

“Tell me Yusei,” Yugi asked. “do you believe it?”

“No,” Yusei replied. “I don't think so. I mean, from what I heard from Dr. Schmidt he was a good man. I don't think he would have caused something like that on purpose. Besides, there was a letter with me when Martha found me.”

“A letter?” Yugi asked, surprised. Yusei nodded to his soon to be teacher.

“That's right,” he said. “Apparently my father sent me out in an escape pod just before the explosion took place and I ended up out here. Martha found me and a letter my father had written to explain the situation.”

Yugi gave Yusei a long and sad look. A letter huh? He must have been trying to explain what was going on, at least as much as he could, and he had sent a letter with his son. Even if he had written the letter, with everything that was going on he probably expected his son to die. The odds were stacked against the infant. Yet here he was, alive if not entirely well.

“Does Martha still have it?” Yugi asked. Yusei shrugged.

“I don't know,” he replied. “I read it once a long time ago. You'd have to ask her.”

“If she has it,” Yugi said, feeling oddly like he was prying. “would you mind if I looked at it? Maybe it can help us clear his name.”

“Go ahead,” Yusei replied.

Yugi nodded and then turned again without another word and left the room. Yami and Merlin followed close behind, their own moods reflecting his own. They had all known Hakase Fudo from when he had been at Duel Academy with Jaden. They were glad they had found his son, seeing as he was supposed to be dead after all, but they really wanted to clear his name in this whole mess. Yugi went downstairs and found Martha trying to clean up the mess that the psychic spell caster had caused.

“Hello Martha,” Yugi said. The woman turned to face him with a smile.

“Yes,” she asked. “Can I help you?”

“Do you,” Yugi said, pausing and feeling a little awkward. “still have that letter that was with Yusei when you found him?”

“I do,” she replied, looking a little perplexed.

“May I see it?”

Martha seemed to look at Yugi a moment, as if sizing him up or trying to decide something about him. She then nodded to herself and put her broom down. She went bustling out of the room, and Yugi paused when he heard her rummaging through something in another room. Within a few minutes though she came right back into the room holding a piece of paper that had been folded multiple times. She handed it to him.

“Here,” she said. “This was the letter that came in the pod. It was written very quickly, and I didn't personally know the man, but I couldn't leave his son alone there. Some of the things in that letter didn't make sense to me, but I didn't question it. Keep it if you'd like. I don't have a need for it.”

With that being said the woman hastened off to continue her work. Yugi turned his eyes down to look at the paper. It was worn and old, nearly the same age that Yusei was. It was torn in several places and stained by something. He opened it and found a messy hand made even more messy from a need to write quickly, but it was still readable. The words were written in a black pen and luckily the stains hadn't damaged it enough that there were any words that couldn't be read. Yugi instantly recognized Hakase's hand writing. He took a deep breath and began to read:

_To whoever finds this,_

_My name is Hakase Fudo, and the child within this pod is my son named Yusei. If you find this, then the pod escaped the area of the explosion. I can only hope that he's still alive when you find this. If he is, then please care for him. He's only a child after all. If he is not then please give him the burial that he deserves. I doubt this escape pod has the reach to get far enough to escape the explosion, but it was the only chance he had at surviving, and I wanted to give him any chance I could._

_This escape pod came from New Domino City's soon to be power plant known as the Ener-D Reactor. During the time I have written this we have fallen under attack by one of the people we considered our friends. I helped as many survivors escape as I could but there was little time left when I wrote this and hoped my son might escape._

_I was researching into the so called Planetary Particle which was needed for the Ener-D Reactor technology to then become existent. This lead to the discovery of the planetary gear and the particle called the Yuusei Ryuushi that could bind particles to others. I named my son Yusei in the hopes that he could bind people together. However I predicted that the Ener-D Reactor could be dangerous and produce an accident. My idea was shot down by the City and I was replaced with Roman Goodwin, and that's where our trouble began._

_Roman refused to shut the program down, and though he had the mark of the dragon on his arm he refused to accept it. He instead decided to take the mark of another creature, but to do that he needed to remove the mark, so he made sure to do so, removing his arm. That's when he refused to cancel the project even though my research had proven the rotation would be unstable. But beyond that he overrode the system. That's when the giant spider sign appeared and the meltdown began._

_After that I had little choice but to help evacuate the workers of the power plant. Several had already died though as a course of the attack by Roman's unknown force. I sent the survivors away. As I'm writing this though I've put my son in the capsule and prepared to send him away. The countdown is now at less than two minutes, however these capsules are in the center of the blast site. I doubt that even if my son could escape that radius I could. With any luck though Roman will be going down with us. He's already caused enough heartache to last several life times._

_Watch after my son if he lives, and remember him if he doesn't._

_Hakase Fudo_

Yugi swallowed past the lump in his throat. Hakase Fudo had never been found, along with many others who had been in the center of that blast radius. There had been no trace of the man, along with many of the people who had been that close. The Zero Reverse had destroyed them completely. It seemed that Hakase Fudo's last act had been to save those that he could and his infant son. People blamed him for the Zero Reverse, but really he had predicted that the Ener-D Reactor would meltdown like that.

He glanced up towards the stairs where Yusei was. He had read it as a child and he hadn't understood any of it, of that Yugi was sure. Well he was old enough to understand part of it now, though even Yugi was confused by parts of it. What Spider? The meltdown had been intentional? For what purpose? And what dragon mark had Hakase been talking about? It seemed this mystery that surrounded Yusei and Star was only getting deeper.

He tucked the piece of paper into his pocket though. It was something. They didn't know much now, but perhaps they could get the proof they needed to prove that Hakase Fudo was not only innocent, but had died a hero. They couldn't quite prove it now, but Yugi believed every word on this piece of paper. He knew Hakase too well to not to. He didn't understand all of it, but he knew that something had been going on, something that had started before Yusei had ever been born.

The thing was, Roman had also disappeared after that explosion, as had several others. If he had died, then was there really a concern about this “Spider Sign” or dragon mark? Yugi got the bad feeling that there was definitely still concern for it. It seemed far too laid out to have simply ended in the Zero Reverse. He had no proof of this, but he was now more determined than ever to get Yusei away from the Satellite and the old Reactor site.

Yugi silently made a vow then. Martha had done a marvelous job of raising Yusei into the young man that he was, and he had become everything that his parents could want him to be. But now he was passing from her care and into his. Someone was wanting to get their hands on the boy, and he seemed to be in a situation now more than ever. Yugi promised to keep a careful watch over the boy, and do everything in his power to keep him safe. He owed that much to his father and mother at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Martha didn't have much of an opinion on Yusei's father either way, but in this version of the story Dr. Fudo sent a letter with his son in an attempt to explain the situation and get help for it since he expected he and his entire family was going to die.   
> Kind of a sad part to add in, but it's going to factor in later. And I felt it was necessary since all his friends want to prove his innocence. Not that this really helps them understand what's going on, though all of the readers probably do, considering most of you know 5ds. ;)   
> Anyway hope you enjoyed. Next chapter will be seeing Yusei off to the City and Duel Academy where we'll be running off into the storyline of this fan fiction.


	8. A City Within a City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here we are with chapter eight, and here we are finally seeing Yusei off to New Domino City, where he's going to be introduced to his new life. I wonder how he's going to react to all of that? Star's right there by his side though, so hopefully it won't be too bad. I don't think poor Yusei was ready for such a large new world, but here we go.  
> Thanks again for all the support you guys are giving me! I'm glad that you like the story so much, and I hope you're enjoying the frequent updates. I don't always update so quickly, but I felt that I needed to get several good chapters in on this one at least. How many that is going to be is actually remaining to be seen at this point.

Yusei couldn't help but pause a little as he looked up at the Helicopter. The storm had retreated for a while at least now, though it had been predicted that there would soon be another to come before the end of the night. Yugi and Jaden seemed to be anxious to get him and Star into New Domino City before something else could go wrong. But even so, Yusei was again wondering if he was ready to go at all.

Several of the people from Satellite had come to see him off, including Martha and Dr. Schimdt, Rally, Nervin, Blitz and Tank, and many of the children and their parents. There were others too. They had all helped him pack up his few belongings. He didn't have much. Other than most of his tools, his few clothes that he had, a few pictures in their frames and his books (which were his most numerous possessions on all sorts of topics from casting spells to the realms that bordered their own) he had very little. People in the Satellite didn't really have much. They couldn't afford it, and took good care of what they did have.

All of that had been loaded into the Helicopter, and it didn't take up much space at all. There were only three medium sized bags full of his things. His medicine had also been loaded up onto the Helicopter and Star had been sure to receive very specific instructions on what Yusei was allowed and not allowed to do, and when he had to take his medicine. She knew that he would reasonably do all of this on his own, but she wanted to know herself. She felt better for making sure that he was going to be taken care of while she was around.

Yugi stepped up beside Yusei as he silently gazed at the Helicopter with his normally impassive face. It appeared that he was trying to be cool and keep a calm demeanor, but Yugi knew that he would be really nervous right now. After all, he was leaving the only life he'd ever known behind for another he'd never even dreamed of. The man turned and gave the teen a critical eye, the inhabitants of Satellite hanging back a bit and calling farewells and encouragement.

“Nervous?” Yugi asked with a kind smile. Yusei nodded. “It's okay to be. But we'll be here to help you get used to everything. Are you ready? We have to leave soon.”

Yusei paused a moment, saying nothing. Then he nodded and adjusted his arm again in the sling so that the weight was distributed evenly. His arm and chest were well on the way to mending, and it hurt far less than it did. However he was still going to have to wear the sling for a while until he could finally take it off and use his arm completely again. Until then he still had to be really careful with it.

Star laid her hand on his shoulder, getting him to turn to look at her for a moment. She gave him a smile as she looked at him. Even though she said no words he knew exactly what she meant. She had told him to fly, and he wasn't going to be able to do that unless he was brave enough to take to the skies in the first place. He returned the smile with a small one of his own and nodded to her, telling her that he understood. It was time he tested the skies above.

“Wait,” he heard a voice cry.

Surprised, Yusei turned around to find Theresa running towards him. She skid to a stop and had to pause in order to catch her breath. Yusei said nothing but blinked at her as she recovered and looked up at him. She seemed rather shy suddenly and unsure. The boy didn't seem to respond either way though, so she gathered up her courage again and stood to her full height. She opened her pocked at pulled out a small envelope, handing it to him. He took it and looked at it, perplexed.

“Take it,” she said. “as an apology for earlier. Don't open it until the Helicopter has taken off, and use it when you need to.” She paused and folded her arms. “You're okay kid. So be sure to watch yourself out there, alright?”

Yusei seemed unsure what to say, but he nodded and offered her a small smile as well. Theresa couldn't help but return it. Sure, he was rather quiet and seemed somewhat mysterious. He wasn't always one to talk either, but he was a good person. She turned on her heel and marched away, disappearing into the crowd again.

The citizens of Satellite that were gathered to see him off began waving and smiling at him again. Maybe he wasn't completely ready, but he was as ready as he was going to be. He gave them a smile too and raised his hand in a silent farewell. The pilot popped out of the side as the blades began to spin faster and faster just over his head, telling them that they were ready to take off. Jaden leaped down and walked over.

“Everything's ready,” he told them. “Come on. It's time to go.” Then he gave Yusei a wink. “We know the City pretty well, so you won't get lost or anything. Just be prepared when you meet my students. They can be a bit of a hand full.”

Yusei wasn't sure who Jaden's students were. He'd heard of course that he had taken a few, but it wasn't news that they really got around here. Unless it was ground shattering news they wouldn't get such information from anyone. Still, with as laid back as Jaden was he didn't suspect they'd be THAT much of a hand full. How bad could they be right? Either way, he supposed he'd find out soon enough.

“Let's go,” Yugi said kindly.

Yusei nodded, and both adults stepped out of the way and watched the boy board the Helicopter silently, Star following close behind. Seeing that he had boarded with no problem they soon followed and closed the door. They all took seats in the Helicopter that was on either side of the inside, Yugi, Merlin, Jaden and Neos on one side and Yusei and Star on the other. Yubel and Yami stood in the middle, neither seeming to be effected much by the turbulence as the Helicopter took to the air and then continued on its way. The older men and Duel Spirits watched the younger too.

Star didn't particularly care where she was going as long as Yusei was near where she could keep an eye on him. She was curled up in her usual position against his right side, careful to not bump it, but shielding it from farther harm. Yusei on the other hand was completely unphased by now to feel her small frame bumping up against his now and was watching the ocean pass by underneath them. He suddenly seemed fascinated by it.

Remembering the strange package though he turned his head and gave it a perplexed look. Seeing his interest in it, Star took it and tore the envelope open so he could see what was inside. She paused, seeing paper folded inside it in a neat wad. Yusei of course knew that this was money, though he didn't know why Theresa had given it to him. Sure, he'd never had a lot of money or really anything but the essentials to spend it on, but he knew this had come out of her paycheck. If he would have known he would have refused, but that's why she had told him to wait until it was too late to go back and return it to her.

Jaden and Yugi both noticed the money as well and gave small smiles. The officer had seemed to warm up to him alright, and she had sent him off with what should could. They knew though that he was from the Satellite, and he wasn't one to take things that were “unnecessary”. They weren't even sure what he thought was unnecessary and what wasn't. He'd lived such a different life from the two of them after all, and they were saddened to see that. Though, knowing Anzu, that would change quickly.

Yusei slid the money back into the envelope with a little sigh, but Star just smiled and slipped it into his jacket's pocket. There was nothing said for a while, and the boy just silently looked out the window again, watching the Satellite disappear into the hazy distance. Jaden cleared his throat suddenly though and made the boy turn his eyes back towards him. Jaden smiled when he saw he had the boy's attention and he leaned back.

“Well,” he said. “You've left the Satellite. Everything's in order, meaning you're now an official resident of New Domino City and not the Satellite. You'll have to wait until Monday to go see the Duel Academy.”

“Until then,” Yugi added with a smile. “You'll be staying at my house with me and my wife, Anzu. Jaden, as well as his students Luna and Leo, might pop up a few times as well.”

“Thanks,” he replied, nodding his head to them.

Jaden watched the boy for a moment, just thinking. He reminded him again of his father, only Hakase had been a very happy and smiling person. Though Yusei was very kind, he hardly ever smiled. He knew that having to grow up in the Satellite would have made him into a much different person, and it saddened him. Yoko and Hakase had been very kind people, and if they had managed to raise their son then he would have been a much different person, but the Zero Reverse had seen that they had never gotten the chance. Their son was alive, and that was something, but the wound in Jaden's own heart that had only slightly healed had been freshly reopened.

He found himself snarling a little bit. Yes the pain had returned, but now he also felt anger. Everyone had thought that the Zero Reverse had been an accident, though Hakase Fudo had been blamed for the accident since his discovery and his return to the project. Now Jaden knew the truth though, and he was furious. He knew Hakase far too well to not believe what he had written to be true. Yugi had shown him the letter last night, and after reading it Jaden's usual gentle nature had changed and become closer to what it had been forced to become to face the Supreme King of Darkness, Haou. The dormant anger within him had resurfaced.

Jaden couldn't help but feel angry, and Yugi couldn't blame him. They had thought the Zero Reverse had been an accident, which is what the official report had been. But now they knew that it hadn't been an accident. They had suspected that it might have been sabotage, but now they had solid proof. It was nothing short of mass murder, seeing as so many people had died within that explosion. People would refuse to believe them if they told them without more solid proof, because no one wanted to believe that something like that would happen. But Jaden felt a fresh wave of anger towards Roman Goodwin even though he had died in that explosion as well. He had killed so many people and created a place like the Satellite.

Jaden's eyes moved upwards again to look at Yusei. The boy seemed to be lost in thoughts of his own and he was still staring out the window. Star was curled up next to him still, but her eyes never missed anything. They were trained on Jaden now and watching him, realizing that he was angry, but unsure why. Jaden could feel his anger growing bit by bit. The poor boy had been through hell, and he was coming back to the City where he could live an easier life. Jaden wanted nothing more than to give him that chance. It's what his parents would have wanted.

Jaden knew that Yusei didn't really understand what had happened or why it was important to him at all. He knew that, eventually, Yusei would have to understand. But he didn't want to tell him yet. The poor boy was far too confused and stressed with everything that had happened and changed recently, and he didn't want to add to that mass. When Yusei had settled down again he would tell him then. Until then they would just have to wait.

Jaden turned his attention instead to the sight out the window. They were now passing over the City, which was below him. However the flight path had been carefully selected so that Yusei could get his first glance below at the Duel Academy where he would soon be joining his peers. Knowing this, Jaden smiled to try and disguise his earlier mood swing and pointed to the window.

“Look out,” he said. “You see that place down there? That's Duel Academy. That's where you'll be going to school and moving into the dorms soon. You'll have to wait for an actual tour later, but it was like home to me, so I know you'll do well.”

Yusei looked down as he had been instructed and blinked at what he saw. The Duel Academy was twice the size of the Satellite, and it was still dwarfed by the rest of New Domino City. Still, he was impressed since it took about four hours to get from one side of the Satellite to the other. It had been a small world, but it had still taken a while to know it like the back of his hand. The fact that this place was so big was a staggeringly larger world than the Satellite.

This was the original Duel Academy, the largest and oldest, but also one of the most up kept. It had been founded by the Big Three (that being Yugi Moto, Seto Kaiba, and Joey Wheeler). They were legendary spell casters that had created this place to guard humanity against the evil that they knew would one day reappear. It was here to train and prepare the best spell casters they could find to fight the wars that would one day be coming. However though there were many branches of the Duel Academy around the world, none were as famous or successful as the first, the one that Yusei would soon join the halls of.

He could see a railway running through it at points, a sort of subway system so the students could move about the campus at ease without worrying about the space, and it appeared to be some sort of bullet train since Yusei was watching it zip by beneath them. It was, he had to admit, impressive. There were also buildings of various sizes all over campus, each for a different school of study. There were arenas where he could see the signs of a battle going on below, as well as what appeared to be a race track of sorts where he vaguely spotted a dragon zipping around quickly below. All in all, it looked far bigger than anything that Yusei had ever seen, and it looked to be a confusing mess.

“It's like a City within New Domino City,” Yusei said in awe. Jaden laughed a little.

“Yeah it's pretty big,” Jaden agreed. “And it has plenty of things to do. It should keep your attention for a while.” Then he winked. “Though with as powerful as you are, you might just become one of the Guardians.”

Yusei didn't really look convinced. Star just smiled though and nodded. She'd seen Yusei in action, and she was sure that he'd do well as one of the Guardians. Yugi watched the boy a moment, wondering what he was really thinking. However Yusei's impassive mask was nearly perfect, nearly. Emotion would pass through it though and break it. The soon to be teacher sighed quietly, knowing that this was going to be a problem he was going to have to face.

“Either way,” Jaden relented. “That's going to be your new home away from home. For now though you're going to be coming back with us to Yugi's house. Be warned though, Anzu is a bit of a worrywart.”

Yusei blinked as he saw a peculiar look pass over the faces of both men. He wasn't sure what they meant by that, but he wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to find out now either. Though he didn't really have a choice in the matter. The pilot turned to look over his shoulder at his passengers then.

“We're landing now,” he said. “There's a car waiting for you Mr. Moto.”

“Thank you,” Yugi replied with a smile, getting a nod from pilot.

The passengers (except for Yubel and Yami) all braced as the Helicopter sat down. It was as smooth of a landing that they could get with the wind pushing against the vehicle so hard. The storm was going to hit soon, and though the pilot was good, even he couldn't fight against the fury of the wind.

As soon as they landed Jaden winked and grabbed the bags that he and Yugi had brought with them. Neos followed suit and even in his human form easily lifted all three of the heavy bags that belonged to Yusei. The two exited the Helicopter and went forward to the black car that was sitting on the street a few yards away from the landing site. Police lined the area, keeping back a crowd of curious onlookers and ravenous press. Yusei blinked at the display, but he had expected as much. He was famous just for the fact that he was now Yugi Moto's second student.

Yugi stood and walked over to Yusei, putting a hand on his left shoulder and giving him an encouraging smile. Even Merlin let a small smile touch his own face. They both knew that this was going to be one heck of a leap for the boy from the Satellite. Yusei stood as well, Star at his side, and steeled himself for the insanity that was about to start outside.

Yusei put on his usual impassive face and followed Yugi as he and Merlin stepped outside. As soon as the short man exited the Helicopter the screaming and cheering started, but he ignored it to turn and look inside the Helicopter. The press started yelling and asking questions and yelling at Yugi to get his attention for an interview. Yugi nodded to Yusei, and he stepped out, followed closely by Star.

At their appearance the noise doubled as people began asking questions and talking to one another. Cameras were now flashing and the press seemed determined now more than ever to try and get a statement of some kind for Yugi or his newest student. Yusei decided it would be far better to just ignore them as Yugi had done and followed the man as he turned and began to make his way towards the car.

However that, of course, wasn't going to deter the press one bit, and especially not the woman associated with the local news. She and her camera man were standing at the front of the pack and the camera was training right on Yusei and Yugi as they passed. She managed to lean forward and get Yusei's attention now (seeing how she looked like she was about to fall over the barrier separating them and onto her face). She was wearing a tight shirt and skirt that were pink, long blonde hair and almost orange colored eyes.

“Hello sir,” she said with a microphone clutched in her hand and nearly smashed to her lips. “I'm Samantha from the local news station, NDC News. Could I get a statement?” She didn't wait for an answer to that. “How do you feel to have finally left the Satellite, and what are you going to do now that you're here?”

Yusei looked at her a moment with his impassive face and remained silent. Their eyes met and he was sure he saw her blush suddenly. That made him feel rather uncomfortable, though it made Star's eyes flame. He didn't answer her and continued on his way, following Yusei silently. The camera turned to Samantha as she turned back to continue talking, so it missed Star's death glare as she passed. She didn't like the press at all.

He heard the woman saying something about how cool Yusei was, and that girls at home were probably swooning right about now. She had mistaken his impassive face, meant to be a mask to hide when he was showing weakness, as for him just being cool. He had been forced to grow up with a face like that, as had most people from the Satellite, just to survive in that place. You only smiled to your closest friends. But the people of New Domino City didn't see to understand that.

Especially the girls. They let out squeals as he passed and ignored their antics to try and get his attention. They were subdued only slightly as Star passed and shot daggers at them from her gaze, but only a little. Yusei had never been more glad to get out of sight than he had right then. The door on the black car was closed and Jaden, having loaded the truck, waved as he got into a second car. Yugi, Merlin, Star, Yusei, and somehow Yami had all managed to fit in this car. The yelling outside continued, as did the flashing of cameras, but Yusei felt much more secure in the car where it was not so loud.

“Ready then?” Yugi asked. Yusei nodded.

* * *

 

Her breath was labored now and heavy. She didn't think she'd last much longer, but she was trying to hang on. The machines were whirring gently, and though there were doctors and the best technology that they could have here, they weren't going to be enough to save her life. She was slipping away every minute, but she was still fighting as much as she could.

She didn't have much reason to fight though, not in her mind at least. She knew that Roman Goodwin had been the reason for the Zero Reverse, and she knew he needed to be stopped, but her heart had been shattered. Even if the wound hadn't been as serious as it was she still might not have survived. She couldn't help it though. Her heart had been shattered.

She knew of Roman because she had survived the Zero Reverse. She had been there when the confusion had started, and though she had managed to escape with her life she had thought for years that her husband and child had died in it. She had found her husband, but neither of them had found any proof of their child having survived. They had been searching for years but never found anything. If he had survived it would have been big news, right?

So though she had found her husband, and they had created this organization that was trying to bring down those that had started the Zero Reverse in the first place, she knew her son was dead. It tore her apart inside, but she had fought to make a world that she had known her son would be happy in. This was the Order of Shade, an organization of people who knew about what had truly happened and knew that there was far more than just a meltdown at work behind the Zero Reverse. There had been something truly evil there that day, and they hoped that their combined magic, though not as strong, would one day be enough to protect the world from the evil that had surfaced that day during the Zero Reverse.

Her name was Yoko Fudo. Her hair was longer, but she usually kept it pulled back in the back into a bun, and it was brown. She also had brown eyes. She was a small woman, thin and beautiful, but her kind eyes were clouded with pain. It had been three years since she had received this wound, and though the technology had prolonged her life it couldn't save it.

Though she had survived the Zero Reverse and had disappeared in silence, she hadn't escaped completely. Their foes had attacked them once, forcing them to disappear completely in silence in the back ground. Though no one but those of their organization knew of their location their foes knew they existed. The Order of Shade couldn't reappear until they were sure that they had a chance of doing so. They couldn't take chances again.

Many people had died in that attack, and many more had been injured. Yoko was one of those that had been injured. It was some sort of magic that they had no name for, some evil power that they hadn't had the strength to fight against, not even their strongest fighters like Yoko. They had fled, but at a great cost. It was no secret that Yoko was dying. The doctors gave her days, if that.

Someone else came in the room. He was a man that was around her age, and both still looked rather youthful as well. The man was tall and thin, and he had spiked blue hair and blue eyes. He gave her a sad smile as he walked over beside her. Behind him came his Partner. She was tall and thin as well, and her human form had a beautiful womanly form. She wore a white dress and her hair was also white and long and pulled into a bun with two long strands hanging over her shoulders, though her eyes were on set color and seemed to shine a new color every time you looked at her. She was a Rainbow Dragon called Glisten.

“How are you feeling Yoko?” he asked kindly.

“Oh,” she said quietly. “Jesse. How have your students been?”

Jesse smiled to her gently and took her hand, knowing that she had always been interested in the children, especially those that would have been Yusei's age. She'd never been same after they had been unable to find her baby, but she was trying to hold on for him. Jesse had gone to school with Yoko and Hakase, and he had joined their organization when he had learned that they had survived somehow. He was sad that in order to protect the two he couldn't tell his other friends that they were alive. But he was working as a teacher at Duel Academy, and he kept them posted on what was happening.

“They're doing well,” he replied. “But did you hear? Duel Academy is getting a new student from Satellite. I haven't heard his name but I heard that Yugi Moto has taken him as his student.”

“Yugi has a new student?” Yoko asked. “He must be powerful then. I wonder why he's taken an interest in him?”

“Well the NDC News claims to have caught some footage of him,” Jesse said. “Aren't you curious?”

Yoko wasn't sure. She didn't want to see another boy that was probably about the same age as her boy would have been. She hated to be reminded of it. Yet at the same time she was interested in this boy that Yugi had taken an interest in. The last time he had taken an interest in someone it had been the person who'd pretty much decided the fate of their entire world. With this in mind she nodded. Jesse smiled and picked up the remote next to the bed and hit a button.

He handed her the remote as Glisten started to talk to him, and he became distracted. However a screen appeared in the air at the foot of the bed, and the local news was projected onto it. She watched as she saw Jaden and Neos leave with a few bags. Soon behind them came Yugi and Merlin. They were all familiar sights, but the young man and young woman that followed (the young woman no doubt being his Partner) were not familiar.

She stared at the young man a moment, who seemed to be injured. His arm was in a sling, and his Partner was sticking close to that side. A frown touched her face as she looked at the young man. He seemed strangely familiar to her, though she couldn't name why. He came closer to the camera, and his head turned.

He wasn't looking directly at the camera, rather at the person addressing him at the time. Even so she got a perfect view of his face. A name flashed across the bottom and she quickly hit the pause button. Her jaw fell open and the remote fell from her hand. She could only stare at the screen that had now been stopped on the boy's face and name on it. Tears started pouring down her face in disbelief. It couldn't be, could it? Her instincts told her that it was.

Jesse turned and froze when he saw her face, and her hand and flown to her mouth. The heart monitor connected to her started beeping more rapidly. He was worried for her health now, knowing that she was already in a bad condition. He grabbed her shoulders as if to steady her.

“Yoko,” he said. “Yoko calm down. What's wrong?”

“J-Jesse,” she said quietly. “The screen. Look at the screen!”

Confused and unsure what she meant he turned to look, and his jaw also dropped. The name was Yusei Fudo. He looked up and found himself looking at a boy that could no doubt be the son of Yoko and Hakase Fudo. He was about average height for his age, if not a little shorter. His bangs were more like his mother's were, as well as the shape of his face. However his hair looked like his father's, shaped oddly like a crab except with yellow streaks running through it. His hair was black like his father's and his eyes were blue like his father's. He had a strange mark on his left cheek that was in the process of changing between yellow silver and blue in color.

“Y-Yusei?” Jesse gasped. “So he was alive?”

“How is that possible?” Yoko asked, looking ready to burst into tears.

“He must have been in the Satellite,” Jesse theorized. “If he had been in the City we would have known where to find him in an instant. But since he was in the Satellite we couldn't find him since there's really no keeping track of those people. That's great news! He's alive! We heard that Jack had survived and was being taught by Seto Kaiba, but now we've found Yusei too!”

Yoko couldn't find her voice suddenly. She had just found her baby boy, and she was happier than she had been in a long time. He was more handsome than she could have ever imagined that he would be. She knew too that he was in good hands if he was with Jaden and Yugi. But worry consumed her suddenly too. If he was here in New Domino City then there was a chance...

“Jesse,” she said. “Jesse please go get Hakase. Hurry! He has to see this, and I have to talk to him!”

Hearing the urgency in her voice Jesse grew nervous. He understood her train of thought though, as he had the exact same thought as she had. The boy may have been under the care of Jaden and Yugi, but he was still in danger if he was here. Especially if their enemies were keeping tabs on him as they were. He squeezed her hand and stepped back, nodding as he did so. Then he turned and ran off down the hall, calling to Glisten as he did so.

“Stay with her,” he cried. “Keep an eye on her!”

The faithful dragon nodded and stood by Yoko's side as she waited for her Partner to return with Hakase. Yoko just continued to stare at the face of her baby boy on the screen, gripping the blanket with her hands as if her boy would be in danger right then if she didn't. She had every right to be nervous though. Roman Goodwin was in fact not dead, and he was determined to make her husband's life a living hell. And now that they knew that Yusei was alive...

She didn't know what Roman would try to do, but she didn't want to find out. Even so, she felt happiness. It was true she probably didn't have much time to live at all, but at least she was here now to see that her boy was in fact alive. She'd given up hope on that years ago, and yet here he was in front of her, even if it was only on a television screen.

“My son,” she whispered to no one in particular.

  
She knew he couldn't hear her, but she hoped he would feel her love, even if he never met her. She loved him, and she wanted nothing more than to protect him. She knew Hakase would feel the same as she did.

**How's that for a bit**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's that for a bit of a plot twist? In this AU Yusei's parents are still alive, though is mother will unfortunately die soon. Hakase however will survive and be looking after his son in the back ground. There are more surprises ahead because of Hakase and his part in all of this. However we won't really see the Order of Shade get involved much in the story as a whole. They will be there, just in the shadows as they have been for a long time, waiting and watching.  
> Next chapter will have a little from Hakase and Jesse more before we got back to Yusei and his side of the story. I hope you guys are enjoying this somewhat random AU. Also the part about Roman is a hint as to why Yusei was nearly kidnapped in the first place. ;)


	9. Silent Guardians

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go with chapter nine! This chapter will start off first with the Order of Shade and their new predicament, but we'll also get to see another familiar character that is also involved in the Order of Shade. Then we'll switch on over to see how Yusei's going to take to living surrounded by these crazy characters as well.   
> Thanks for all the support that I've been giving. It means a lot that you guys like what I've written so far and like my ideas, even if it isn't canon really at all. I have this story planned out, and it's eventually going to work out.  
> Also I'll be eventually adding in an OC that another writer created because I basically made a bet with her and she won. Anyway, look forward to meeting her. And here we go with the chapter.

The entire Order was gathered just outside the room that had served as Yoko's hospital room. The door was shut and the dozen or so members were gathered in the hall outside. Jesse glanced up silently towards the door. Yoko had insisted on talking to Hakase alone, and now everyone was waiting. Everyone had tried to ask Jesse what had happened, but he would say nothing yet. Yoko had wanted to keep it a secret until she had talked to Hakase.

Hakase inside the room was leaning down next to his wife's ear, listening as she whispered something to him. His eyes were wide with confusion, but any time he looked up at the screen he couldn't deny that this boy was his son. There was no other explanation for it. He agreed with Yoko, they had to protect their son. He'd been consumed with grief with the thought that he had failed his son and wife. He'd thought that his son had been dead and now his wife was dying. However his son was alive, and he knew that he had to fight for him.

Hakase was listening to his wife tell him a secret, something he had to pass on to his son someday. His eyes were clouded now with grief as he listened, knowing well what this meant. He was tall and thin, and his hair was shaped oddly like a crab and black. However the bangs were parted over his right eye, leaving only his left visible. Having heard what his wife had to say, he nodded.

“I'll be sure and tell him someday,” he promised.

His wife smiled, and he took her hand, managing a smile for her. She'd always loved to see him smile. He was glad though she had find the strength to smile again. He hadn't seen that smile of hers in years. Hakase kissed her hand and closed his eyes. He couldn't believe he had found his son, only to lose his wife. The man froze as he heard the heart monitor flat line.

Hakase Fudo felt tears rolling down his face. He had no idea how he could such extreme sorrow and such complete joy at the same time. The two conflicting emotions rolled around inside the man, threatening to burst forth with every breath that entered and left his lungs. He opened his eyes and looked at his wife's face.

Her eyes were open slightly, clouded with pain but filled with joy at the same time. There was a smile on her face, and tears of happiness were running down her cheeks. He felt her death was a bitter sweet one. She had lived long enough at least to see the young man her boy had become. Now it was up to Hakase to be the protector Yusei needed, even if he didn't meet his son for a long time.

Hakase turned to again survey the face of his son. He seemed to have been forced to grow up too fast, but from what he knew of the Satellite he wasn't surprised. Now that they had a face to go with the name, finding things out about his son and his past would be much easier. His eyes fell then to the sling that the boy's right arm was in and the man frowned.

Why was he hurt? Had he been attacked by something? The thought made Hakase angry and he could think of only one person who would have done such a thing. It had to be Roman, somehow or other he had concocted up a plan to hurt his son. Hakase wasn't going to stand for that. He felt anger and love welling up in him at the same time. He had to protect his son. And that meant he was going to have to keep an eye on him. Luckily for him, he had two people who were always at Duel Academy that could watch over him pretty much twenty four seven.

Hakase quickly wiped the tears away, forcing them back for now. There would be a time to mourn later, but right now he had a mission. If they didn't stop Roman and whatever he was planning then there wouldn't be a time to mourn at all. He stood and turned to Yoko, closing her eyes and brushing the tears away. Then he laid a single kiss on her forehead and silently promised her that he wouldn't let their son get hurt. He then folded her hands across her chest and turned.

He took a moment to look at the screen again, drinking in his son's face as if he would forget and wake up to find out this was just some dream. He then pulled out his tablet and quickly flipped through the latest news on a local news website. He found another picture where his son's face was clearly visible. He knew he'd have to prove it to everyone else. He paused though as he looked at the picture. The mark on his face was also changing colors in this shot, and the girl with white hair behind him with the same mark was clearly visible. What was his son's Partner?

Unable to listen to the machine behind him any longer he clutched at his tablet and quickly exited the room. He shut the door behind him, looking up to see that everyone was gathered here. There was silence suddenly as they all looked up at him. The grief in his eyes was enough to tell them what happened. They looked at him, looking for confirmation. He just shook his head, unable to voice what he was feeling. They all looked down as sorrow washed over them as well.

Zane stepped forward. He was older than Hakase, but he had been pretty good friends with him and his wife. He also taught a class at Duel Academy, and he hated to see his friend in such pain, even if they had known it was coming. Zane had longer blue hair and blue eyes. He was tall and thin as well but had wider shoulders. Behind him was his Partner, a man around the same age wearing a gray jacket with blue running through it and gray pants. His hair was also gray and he had gray eyes. This was a Cyber End Dragon called Cyber.

Zane had once worked with Hakase and Yoko on the Ener-D Reactor, and he was one of the few that had managed to escape that explosion. He had settled down again as best as he could to teach students, feeling that he somehow owed it to the younger generations whose parents had been lost in that explosion, and he surprisingly found he liked it. However when Yoko and Hakase had appeared and told him that Roman was alive he had instantly joined them again. Dragons and machines were Zane's specialty at the school.

“Hakase,” Zane said quietly. “I'm sorry. But we need your leadership right now. I know it's hard, but you're going to have to let Yoko go for now.”

Hakase let out a sigh, and it was a broken sound. No one had ever wanted to hear such a sad and despairing sound from the man. However to their surprise he soon seemed to shake himself out of it and clutched at his tablet more as if his life suddenly depended on it. Everyone glanced towards it suddenly, wondering about the change in the man. He looked up though with determined eyes and met Zane's gaze.

“Zane,” he said. “Jesse, I need your help.” Zane was confused, but Jesse gave the man a knowing glance.

“I understand,” Jesse said.

“Of course,” Zane replied to the man.

Hakase nodded then, satisfied with their responses. Then he handed Zane the tablet. It was open on a picture, and as the man looked down he froze at what he saw. His eyes widened as he tried to convince himself that what he was saying wasn't somehow faked. It was obvious who this was though even by looking at him. He looked like his parents.

“This is...” Zane gasped.

“Yugi Moto's new student,” Jesse answered for everyone with a nod. “a young man from Satellite. Yusei Fudo.”

At the sound of the name the entire order suddenly gasped and was asking questions that couldn't all be possibly answered at the same time. However when Hakase held up his hand for silence they all did so, looking at him. He looked absolutely exhausted now, and they felt a little bad for him. He had just lost his wife, to suddenly find out that his son was alive somehow. Hakase looked up at Zane, who was studying the scene in the picture with a frown.

“Is that his Partner?” he asked. “They have the same mark, but I can't tell what she is. I would say she's a dragon though, looking at her eyes. Some have similar eyes.”

“A female dragon?” Hakase asked, knowing that Zane was the one to know about dragons. That was one of his fields of study after all, and Cyber was a dragon. “She can't be happy right now.”

“I'd say she's being overprotective of him at the moment,” Zane nodded. “He's hurt after all. I wonder how he got hurt that badly though?”

At the news that the boy had been found but hurt, an uneasy silence fell over everyone as they thought about what it could mean. Why would the boy be hurt? The Satellite wasn't a dangerous place anymore, and also it wasn't the place for an attack to happen. They'd heard of course of the attack of the Shadow Spirit and that it had been beat back by a single boy and an unidentified Duel Spirit.

“That must be it,” Hakase said, speaking aloud. “He must have been the one to fight that Shadow Spirit. The question is why he would do it with the odds stacked so heavily against him. That's probably how he got hurt. And I'd bet anything that the girl is the Duel Spirit who helped him, his Partner.”

“An unidentified dragon,” Jesse said thoughtfully. “and a fight against a Shadow Being? Sounds familiar doesn't it? Jack Atlas and his Partner Blaze met on similar circumstances didn't they?”

“Are you saying they barely know each other?” someone gasped. “And they already made a contract?”

“If they have,” Hakase growled. “then there's no doubt. That's too coincidental for comfort. These two pairs have been targeted, and I think we all know by who.”

The Order of Shadow did indeed know by who. Roman had to be behind all of this somehow, but why or how they weren't sure. They'd seen far too much strange magic from Roman to believe that these events weren't connected. They didn't have too much information at the present, but they knew too that with time they'd find out more, even if it was a great cost. Zane handed Hakase his tablet back, and their eyes met. They both had the same determined look. They weren't going to let Roman get away with he had done, even if it killed them.

“We'll have to put a watch on the Satellite,” Hakase suddenly said. “If anything else like this happens again, I want to know instantly. Also we need to keep an eye on the City again, eyes on everything. Jesse and Zane will keep an eye on Duel Academy.”

The two men nodded knowingly, understanding that he meant that he wanted them to especially keep an eye on his son. If Roman knew that Yusei was alive then he was going to go after him. Roman wanted his own revenge against Hakase and they all knew it, and taking his son from him after he had just found out he was alive would be worse than anything else. They were as determined as Hakase was to keep the boy safe, and they both silently vowed to Yoko that they would do just that. They both owed that to them.

* * *

 

Yusei was standing silently in the back of the elevator as they rode it up to the top of the building that Yugi called home. The small elevator seemed suddenly crowded, but he supposed that it usually was. The doorman hadn't seemed surprised to see Yugi arriving with so many people, and acted like it was perfectly normal. Star was again standing to his right side, purring to him as quietly and comfortingly as she could.

Yusei just stood there, lost in thought. He wasn't sure what he expected, other than the fact that he expected it to be extremely different than what he was used to. This was the Tops, the place where the richest people in New Domino City spent their lives and lived in luxury. He had expected that Yugi would probably live here, but he wasn't sure what he was going to do here. He was just some kid from the Satellite after all.

The elevator gave a ding as it reached the very top floor, causing Yusei to look up. The doors opened and the eight people within filed out (though eight was kind of a relative term since people would only see six coming out). There was a small foyer that led to a door. Yugi walked up to it and paused, hearing yelling from within. He let out a sigh. Luna and Leo were at it again. They loved each other but they argued a lot. How could two such opposite people be twins? He pulled out the key to open the door and smiled at Yusei.

“That would be Luna and Leo,” Yugi explained. “They're twins and about ten years old. However they argue a lot. They're Jaden's students.”

“They're not bad kids,” Jaden laughed. “Just a little out of control. Maybe you'll be a positive role model for them.”

Yusei was too confused about the whole situation to do much more than nod with a slightly perplexed face. He hadn't heard that Jaden's students had been so young, but he supposed they could start as early as they wanted to in getting their education. Yugi sighed and unlocked the door, then stepped inside the neat and well furnished house. Yusei entered and looked around somewhat nervously, wondering what on earth he'd just gotten himself into.

“Hey you two,” Yugi called. “Be a bit quieter. We have guests!”

“Behave you two,” Jaden added.

Upon hearing the voice of Yugi and their teacher the twin's squabble ceased as they came to see who their teacher had brought with them. Yusei blinked at the sight of the two twins, both with blue hair styled differently and amber eyes. It took him two seconds to guess who was Luna and who was Leo. Their Partners came in soon, a boy in brown and in a girl in blue pink and gold. They paused and looked up at Star with a greater interest than before, and she suddenly seemed very interested in the two of them.

Luna took a step back, looking almost like she was scared of Yusei. Leo on the other hand smiled widely as he looked at Yusei. Both Yugi and Jaden suddenly felt pity for the boy from the Satellite, knowing that he was about to receive and earful from Leo. However Yugi also needed to talk to Anzu as well. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter, showing it to Jaden when Yusei wasn't looking then sliding it back into his pocket. Jaden nodded.

“Can you two take Yusei to the living room and play with him a while?” Yugi asked. “Jaden and I need to talk to Anzu.”

Slightly confused the twins nodded as Yugi, Merlin, Jaden, Neos, Yubel and Yami all filed past farther into the house. Yusei silently closed the door behind him, ignoring Yubel's whispered “good luck” as she passed. He turned then to look at the twins again and offered them a little smile.

“Hello,” he said gently to them.

“Hi,” Leo instantly replied. “I'm Leo, and this is my Partner Quake. He's a Life Stream Dragon. That's my twin sister Luna and her Partner is Monarch, an Ancient Fairy Dragon. What's your name? Is that your Partner?”

Yusei just smiled wider. Leo reminded him suddenly of Rally. He was so hyperactive and talkative. He couldn't help but let his eyes soften a little, and Star started giggling a little. Though Yusei hadn't ever heard of a Life Stream Dragon or Ancient Fairy Dragon he wasn't too surprised. After all he hadn't heard of a Stardust Dragon either. Upon seeing Yusei's smile Luna seemed a little less wary of the boy and stepped forward just a little.

“My name is Yusei Fudo,” he replied. No sense in hiding anything. “And this is Star. She's my Partner and she's a Stardust Dragon.”

“Oh Fudo?” Leo suddenly asked. “Isn't that the guy who caused the Zero Reverse?”

Yusei's smile fell and his face returned to its usual impassive one. Leo seemed to pause, as if wondering what he had done wrong. Luna on the other hand seemed to grow angry. Yusei wasn't sad or hurt by the words. He had never really known his father. However it wasn't really something that he felt like discussing.

“Leo don't be so rude,” Luna cried. “You don't know that for sure!”

“Well why are you so scared of him?” Leo countered.

“Well,” Luna said, pausing and looking down. “He's from Satellite. There are supposed to be bad people there.”

“Yeah but you don't know that Yusei's bad,” Leo countered. “Besides Jaden and Yugi said he was on Team Satisfaction, which got rid of all the bad people in Satellite.” Then Leo seemed to gasp and turned to Yusei with huge starstruck eyes. “Whoa that's so cool! You're like a real life super hero!”

Yusei couldn't help but start to laugh then. It was a quiet laugh, but a genuinely amused one at the same time. Star smiled when she heard it, grateful to Leo for having made her Partner be able to laugh after everything he'd been through. Luna couldn't help but smile a little as well, and Leo's grin just widened as Yusei continued to laugh.

“I suppose you could look at it that way,” Yusei said after he recovered from his laughing. “Do you mind if I come in?”

The twins finally seemed to realize that they were still standing in the foyer of the house, so Leo grabbed Yusei's uninjured hand and dragged him right to the couch in the spacious living room. Yusei just smiled a little and sat down on it in about the middle, which is where Leo had dragged him. Leo hopped up next to him, and Quake sat on the boy's other side. Star sat on Yusei's injured side, as usual, and Luna sat about as far away as she could on the same side of her brother.

That was, until Monarch came in. She looked up at Yusei carefully and seemed to be watching him for a moment. Then she reached up and pulled herself up into Yusei's lap, careful to not bump his injured arm. She just sat there and seemed quite content. After that Luna scooted over closer and seemed much more open to Yusei. She trusted her Partner after all.

Leo started firing off questions again, one after another and barely giving Yusei time to answer even one. He asked things about Yusei's life before and what he had done in the Satellite. He seemed extremely interested in the fact that Yusei was so good with his hands and liked to work to fix things, calling him a superhero once again when he mentioned he did it without charge because the people of Satellite were so poor. This put Star into a fit of giggles. Once she calmed down Luna crossed her arms and reached past Quake to bump her brother.

“Will you breathe for a second?” she asked. “Let him talk too Leo.”

“Oh yeah,” Leo said. “You can ask us questions too! So what do you want to know?” Yusei shrugged.

“I don't know,” he replied truthfully. “I guess how do you like being Jaden's students?”

“It's great,” Leo replied. “He's really nice.”

“He wanted us because I can talk to Duel Spirits like him,” Luna explained. “And well he couldn't just take one of a set of twins so he took us both.”

“Hey are you going to Duel Academy?” Leo gasped. “We got there too, though we're a few years junior to you. Maybe we'll see each other around?”

“Maybe,” Yusei agreed with a smile.

“ _A few years may be an understatement,_ ” Star said, getting a giggle from Luna.

At that point the door opened and everyone else came pouring into the living room. Yugi was followed by a woman with blondish brown hair and brown eyes, who was smiling widely at him. She was the kind of woman who would have made the perfect mother and been kind to everyone. Jaden looked around the room in mock shock.

“Whoa,” he said. “Yusei you might be our savior. I don't think Luna and Leo have been so quiet in a long time.”

“Hello,” Yugi's wife greeted with a huge smile. “My name is Anzu, and I want you to call me that, okay? Would you like some cookies? Or something else? I can make you something sweet if you'd like.”

She couldn't help herself from trying to be kind to the poor boy. He'd been through so much, and now she knew what had happened with her father she couldn't help but be so nice to him. His father and mother were dead, and he didn't quite know or understand yet how it had happened, and none of them knew why. He was also injured and had suddenly been taken from his home into a new place, even if it was by good people.

Anzu noticed Yusei's eyes flash for just a second. He had recognized that she was trying to be nicer to him, perhaps out of pity. She paused a moment, surprised by how sharp he was. But she soon smiled again like nothing had happened and waited for him to answer. The twins silently watched the exchange with some confusion.

“I've never really had either,” he admitted as if nothing had happened.

“Never had cookies?” Leo gasped as it it was a crime to say so. Luna sighed and shook her head.

“I'll make some cookies then,” Anzu replied sweetly, returning to the kitchen to start baking.

Anzu turned and returned to the kitchen then, with Yusei's intelligent eyes following her as she went inside. There was silent suddenly, and Monarch turned to look at Yusei. She watched him for a moment before turning to look at Luna.

“ _He's so sad,_ ” she said. “ _But he was forced to grow up in a world where he had to be strong to survive. That's why his face shows so little emotion._ ”

Luna turned to look at Yusei too then, watching his face. But she too saw no emotion passing through it now. It was as if it had been etched into stone, and she felt sorry for him. She had seen him show emotion, but somehow Anzu had said something to make him retreat into his shell again. Star met her gaze sadly with her own as she curled up against his injured side. Luna silently made a vow then to help him be able and smile as he had done more often.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, the twins are so cute! And look at Luna, trying to help Yusei out and all of that. But also we've got some (basically for lack of a better word) secret agents fighting to keep Yusei safe since there's a maniac trying to catch him for whatever reason.   
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, even if parts of the chapter were really sad.


	10. Oncoming Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we go, after a bit of a break, back with Dragon Pact. This chapter is going to be more of a chill chapter for Yusei. I think he kind of needs one. The poor kid's been through enough trauma and confusion for now.   
> Anyway, thanks to everyone who's been supporting the story so far! You guys are amazing, and you sometimes give me the inspiration to write even when I don't feel like I have any, so thanks a ton!

Yusei was taking it easy for a while, mostly because Anzu had insisted that he did so. She reminded him a lot of Martha, the perfect kind of woman to make a kind and loving mother. Besides, it WAS doctor's orders for him to not push himself and Star wasn't letting him get away with anything. So he was taking it easy so the two girls would calm down a little. Leo seemed capable of an endless stream of energy and wanted to talk to Yusei and hang out with his “superhero”, but his sister had dragged him away to give Yusei some peace and quiet.

The twins were playing with their Partners, who were both in their dragon forms. The Life Stream Dragon was a young (but still large) dragon that was mostly a brown in color. It had a crown like formation on the back of his head and stood on its back legs like Star did in her dragon form. It had a lighter brown armor that covered its body and a darker brown part under that armor. The fingers on its right hand were red while it had a red sort of shield on its left arm. It also had a long tail and four wings that were thin and hardly seemed adequate to hold its weight. However the dragon was zipping around in the sky with a beaming Leo on his back just fine.

Luna was also flying on Monarch's back but watching Quake and Leo preform tricks rather than actually doing much more than glide contentedly. The Ancient Fairy Dragon had a long blue body like a snake that had orange eyes and mint green hair. Her wings were pink and reminded Yusei somewhat of a butterfly, and she also had pink fin like structures on her face. She had on a gold helmet type thing with red markings on it and a dark blue gem, and she also had thin shoulders and arms which had a chest plate with red gems and bracers with red gems as well. She had a green tuft on her tail as well. She was very considerate of Luna as she flew around.

They were on the roof of the building, which was actually technically part of Yugi's house. It was more like backyard, and since Yugi and Anzu were the only people living on his part of the building it was the perfect place for the kids to go out and enjoy the warm weather and nice day. Luna and Leo were flying around with their dragons over the pool (in case they fell off) and Yusei was also with Star up on the roof and glancing up occasionally at their antics with a smile.

Star was also in her true form, resting peacefully as she watched the younger and smaller dragons flying around above her and letting out a purr as she did so. Her large silver body seemed to glow and shimmer in the sunlight, making her seem even more beautiful than she had before. However Yusei knew that it was the star and moonlight that made her hide sparkle and shine brilliantly. She was a creature said to be made of starlight after all, so it came as no surprise.

Star was crouched to sit down as much as she could in her dragon form, having her back legs bent about as far down as she could go. Her tail was again wrapped around her feet for balance, and her left arm was hanging down to the ground. Her right arm was on top of her leg so she didn't have to constantly hold it up. Her claws were curved slightly so she wouldn't hurt her precious cargo, because Yusei was sitting in her palm that was turned upwards. His back was leaning against her sharp claws, but he didn't fear her at all and was completely at ease. His injured side was facing her chest while his left side was facing outwards. Her head was close to the boy as she continued to purr to him, and every now and then he would look up and pat her nose or chin with a smile.

He had a book in his left hand, bracing it against his legs as he continued to read it. It was about the size of a novel but was thicker than that and had much smaller sized print. It was a book on the genealogy of dragons and how they could be recognized in their human forms. It went through all the more well known ones, even up to less well known ones like Cyber End Dragon and Rainbow Dragon. There were no mentions of ones like Life Stream Dragon, Ancient Fairy Dragon, Red Dragon Archfiend or Stardust Dragon. He didn't expect there to be, but since he was now pretty much surrounded by dragons twenty four seven he had decided that it would be a good time to revisit the book. Crow had got it for his fifteenth birthday (maybe stole it? He wasn't sure) and at the time Yusei hadn't known just how relevant the book had been. Now, he was grateful he had it. It made him feel a little less confused, even if it had no real answers for him.

Star was at one of the side walls, facing the door that led out here and also the twins as they flew around in case she had to jump forward to catch them. Star turned her eyes away from the twins a moment to look at her Partner, who looked more at ease than he had in a while. It had been about a day now since he had come here, and he had taken to the twins and their Partners (and them to him and herself) instantly.

She liked them as well, so she was more than willing to help him play baby sitter over the weekend until school started again. They of course understood that they were going to be learning from Yugi soon and his secrets about casting magic and such as well as attending other classes, but for now they were fine here.

The boy however still had a wary look in his eyes. He knew that something was growing on, but he had no idea what that could be so he was very nervous. Star let out a louder purr than she normally would have, again assuring him that she would be right here to protect him if he needed her. Yusei laid his book against his chest to keep his place and looked up at her in response.

He gave her a little smile and reached up to scratch her chin again. Her purring grew louder and she narrowed her eyes in pleasure at the movement. It really did feel good, and she knew that she could trust him with it. Besides, she had to admit that she did like to see him smile, and he smiled almost constantly whenever he petted her.

Though it was warm outside, Yusei was wearing his jacket again and his gloves. He couldn't help but feel a little self conscious about the scars that he now had on his arm and chest. Even though his arm was still in its sling and the stitches had been removed by Dr. Schmidt before he had left the Satellite he still feel nervous about showing it to anyone. He didn't really want anyone to worry about him, and he just didn't feel like showing his arm to anyone, especially not with that strange dragon mark on his arm. Star nudged his left shoulder gently with her nose.

“ _It's going to be alright,_ ” she purred gently.

Yusei let out a soft sigh but still smiled as he scratched her chin. She was probably the only one who completely understood his full confusion in the problem at hand. She was admittedly part of it, but he knew that he could trust her. She'd probably protected him twice now, against Kira (and whatever she and her “big brother” wanted with him) and against that Shadow Spirit. Star was probably one of his best friends now, even if he didn't admit that to anyone else but himself. He didn't really think he had to though, and just told her how much he appreciated her silently by scratching her chin gently as she purred to him, rumbling his whole body with the thunder that rang through hers.

The glass door slid open suddenly and Jaden came outside, followed by two people that Yusei had never seen before either. He paused a moment as he looked up at them, and Star raised her head a little to look at them as well, her eyes fully opened now and warily watching them. Yusei felt her claws flex just slightly behind his back. She was ready to defend him if they proved hostile, but he really didn't get the feeling, with how friendly Jaden was being to them, that they had anything to worry about. Then again, Jaden did seem pretty much friendly with everyone.

There was a woman and a man. The man seemed about Yugi's height and had light blue hair and dark blue eyes. His hair seemed to be fluffed out a bit, and he wore glasses. He still looked rather youthful, and his skin was rather pale. The woman on the other hand was taller than Jaden but still around average height. She had blonde hair that was cut short, (an honestly rather large chest) pale skin and brown eyes. Both of them froze in the door as they saw Star, starring at her open mouthed. It was obvious in the lack of interest that they knew of Jaden's students and their strange dragon, but Yusei knew that Star was something else.

She was both beautiful and terrible, powerful yet strangely gentle. Her eyes seemed to have a piercing gaze, and though she wasn't being overly aggressive towards the two newcomers she wasn't being friendly either. They seemed unsure of her, but Jaden just smiled at them. Yusei quickly marked his page in the book and closed it, getting the feeling that he was about to be introduced to them. He wondered how many more new people he was going to meet before he actually ever got to Duel Academy in the first place. They were too far away to hear clearly, but Jaden turned to speak to his two friends.

“She's beautiful isn't she?” Jaden asked with a grin. “That's Star, something called a Stardust Dragon.”

“T-That's Yusei Fudo's Partner?” the male asked, seeming a little shy (or terrified as the case might have been) to see the dragon. “She's so big!”

“She certainly is,” the woman said, blinking a little in surprise. “And where's Yusei?” Jaden smiled and pointed.

“In her hand,” he said. “She hardly lets him out of her sight. Besides they're really close already.”

The three looked up at the boy, whose knowing eyes were now locked on their faces with some curiosity in them. His dragon Partner however still seemed to be largely unnerved by their presence, but neither did she seem as she had with Yugi and Jaden when she had first seen them. Since she reasoned that she could trust the adults here with her Partner, she wasn't eager to try and attack the people he had brought with him. She was watching now, neither aggressive or friendly, until she could be sure of their motives.

The short man didn't look like he was entirely sure he wanted to go over and say hello to her and her Partner, or if he wanted to sink into a little puddle on the ground as quickly as possible to hide from her sight. The woman however, after seeing a nod from Jaden, grabbed the man's arm and dragged him with her right over to the two of them. Yusei looked down at them as he waited, curious as to who these people were. He was sure he'd probably heard something about them. They had probably helped Jaden fight his war or something. There were always several people who fought these wars. Jaden followed behind them, and upon reaching Star, bounding right up her leg and knee and sat on the edge of her hand right next to Yusei.

“Hey Star,” he said. “How are you doing?” Yusei smiled a little, amused. He was pretty sure that Jaden was the only one who would just walk up to Star and do that when she was so on edge. Star turned her great head to look at the man.

“ _Fine I suppose,_ ” she said. “ _Yusei and I were relaxing and enjoying each other's company until you interrupted us._ ”

“Sorry sorry,” Jaden laughed in response. “But I thought it was time you two met some of my friends, and a few of the professors at Duel Academy. Alexis and Syris were the only ones who could make it out here today but it's better than nothing. Say hi guys.”

“Same as always,” the woman sighed with a smile. “You never do change, do you Jaden? My name is Alexis Rhodes. I teach the class for Physical Education. You'll probably be having class with me, though by the looks of it, we might have to take it easy on you for a while.” Yusei nodded to her and looked at Syris who jumped a little.

“H-Hello,” Syris said. “My name is Syris Truesdale. Well, my magic isn't as strong as my older brother's, but I really do like machines. I heard that you like to build and fix things from Yugi, so I think you'd probably like my class. I think you'd probably have a class with my older brother too though.”

“You don't have to be so shy Syris,” Alexis sighed, but also with a smile.

Syris seemed to look down and looked like he wanted to disappear from sight as soon as she looked at him. Star seemed to be looking at them with greater interest now. It was obvious that they were all really good friends, and they were at ease with each other even though there were obvious differences between them. They reminded Star suddenly of Yusei's friends from back in the Satellite.

“Sorry about that,” Jaden laughed. “Syris tends to be very shy, but he's still my best friend. Get him in front of a machine though and he's a completely different person. It's kind of amazing the change that comes over him.”

“ _I like them,_ ” Star finally announced, relaxing her wings as proof of it and leaning over for Yusei to scratch her chin again. He did so with a bit of a smile and Jaden laughed.

“Hey guys you pass the test,” he said. “Star likes you. Congrats.”

“Th-That's good,” Syris said, not seeming sure whether or not he entirely believed that.

Alexis just looked up and gave Yusei a long and hard look, as if measuring him up. It was true though that he reminded her a lot of his father (which she had admittedly dated at one time). He had the same careful and calculating eyes, but there was still kindness there in his eyes. She also decided that though he was like his father, he was also a completely different person. There was something far more wary in his eyes. But she found she liked the smile on his face. It was a gentle smile that graced his face, just like Yoko's had been. She felt tears welling up in her eyes as she thought of his parents. She knew they'd be proud to see the young man their baby had become.

“You look a lot like your father,” she said, gaining the boy's interest again. “But you also look a lot like your mother. Of course, you aren't like either. But I still think they'd be very proud to see you. I know our friends were glad to hear you'd somehow survived. They'll be happy to see you too I think. We haven't seen you since you were tiny.”

Alexis seemed to giggle at the thought of the tiny infant that had once been Yusei. Yusei on the other hand gave her his favorite face, one with no emotion at all. Yusei did understand though that these people had once known him, a people that came from a time when there was no Satellite and no New Domino City. Once there had been peace and just one big city where everyone had been happy. However even he knew that peace often didn't last long. He scratched Star's jaw again to distract himself from the dark thoughts.

“Yeah,” Jaden said with a teasing smile, erasing the dark thoughts for now. “I'll say Yusei's neither. He's one of a kind for sure. He can see both Yubel and Yami and has talked to both.”

Both Syris and Alexis looked up in surprise at the news. Few people could see their illusive and invisible friends, and those that could were generally very special people indeed. But both Yami and Yubel? Without being connected to them at all? That wasn't just uncommon but abnormal. Both were now far more interested in the boy than they had been before. What could all of this mean? They weren't sure but they knew they were probably going to find out. That's usually how all of this worked. They'd done it before.

At about that time Yusei looked up as Leo leaped off of Quake's back towards the group. The boy landed heavily on the edge of Star's hand, but Yusei reached out and managed to grab the back of his shirt and keep him from falling off. Luna on the touched down more carefully on the crown of Star's head and sighed, shaking her head at Leo as he quickly stepped back. Jaden also gave an exasperated sigh. Even if the boy was always around dragons he shouldn't have been taking risks like that. Yusei got the boy steady on his feet again and silently watched the boy in case he should try anything else dangerous like that.

Star remained very still as Luna carefully eyed the move down. Seeing that Yusei was watching her now she slid down the dragon's head and jumped down where Yusei steadied her as well in case she was to slip. She recovered nicely and put her little hands on her hips as she frowned at her brother. Both Quake and Monarch settled by Star's sides in a relaxed manner, knowing that the older dragon would keep them safe for now. Yusei looked around himself.

Jaden was sitting just a little in front of him, and he was giving Leo the most severe look he'd ever seen the man give anyone. Leo was giving him an abashed smile. Yusei was sitting still and not really seeming too interested in this whole situation (as usual) and Luna was standing just behind him and looking about ready to give Leo an ear full again. Star's hand looked really crowded now, and he could see the surprised faces of Syris and Alexis down below. This kind of crazy situation was both expected and normal around Yugi's house though. The twins were as rowdy as normal, Jaden both laid back and vigilant, and Yusei taking it all in his stride.

Yes, the dragon's hand seemed rather crowded now, and it seemed like a miracle that the twins had managed to fit in the space on her hand. Even with as big as her hand was, it wasn't quite that big. But it was comforting to Yusei in a way. He was comfortable with these people, even if he was in a new place and in a world he'd never seen before now up close. It was confusing, but he knew that he could trust them. They were as good as family as any he had here.

“Leo you need to be more careful,” Luna chastised her brother. “You could have hurt yourself or someone else. Don't just jump off your dragon like that. If Yusei hadn't caught you, you would have fallen off.”

“Oh yeah,” Leo said, pointing an accusing finger at her. “And you didn't jump off? You were just on Star's head, how did you get in her hand?”

“I didn't jump,” Luna replied, crossing her arms and turning her head away. “I slid off her head carefully. There's a big difference. I was being safe.”

“Don't you two start again,” Jaden warned strongly. Yusei just reached over and ruffled Leo's hair.

“Be more careful,” he said. “That was dangerous. Don't just go jumping off your dragon like that, alright?”

To Alexis and Syris' utter surprise, Leo hung his head and looked ashamed. They had met the twins before and knew how much they seemed to like to argue. Of course, they loved each other, but that didn't mean that they didn't get on each other's nerves. Leo also had a tendency to try and argue with Jaden as well, even when Jaden was right. At the very least he always tried to defend his actions. Yet when Yusei said that he accepted it and hung his head. They found this a little surprising, but it was obvious that the twins looked up to him a lot.

“Yeah I know,” Leo said quietly. Yusei just ruffled the boy's hair again.

“You're so hopeless Leo,” Luna sighed. Leo gave her a mischievous smile that he was easily known for. He was a trouble maker alright.

“I'll show you how hopeless I am,” he challenged. “I can beat you at anything! Just name it!”

“You two aren't doing any challenging today,” Jaden said, stopping Leo then and there. The man crossed his arms. “You two are coming with me to finish your work.”

“Aw really,” Leo sighed. “Right now? Can't it wait?”

“No,” Jaden replied, fighting back a smile.

“You've already put it off for two weeks,” Luna reminded him, grabbing his arm so he wouldn't run away. “You're going to finish it already, and I'm going to make sure you do it this time.”

Leo, now having no way to escape, just pouted at his teacher and his sister. Jaden carefully made his way to the ground, then helped Luna and Leo on their way down as well. He gave Yusei a wink as he led the twins off to do their work. As they neared the sliding door they were soon joined by Quake and Monarch who were now in their human forms and speeding away after them. Both Syris and Alexis smiled a little and shook their heads as they watched them go. The turned again to look at Yusei, and they spotted a small smile on his lips as well.

Syris just watched the boy a moment. He seemed comfortable enough, but he still found it amazing how he was still so kind with a face like that. He felt that those eyes had an ability to become scary in a moment's notice, much like Yami's had been once before when he had seen him and Yugi switch places. Yet now he seemed so oddly gentle. It was a little hard for Syris to believe that the boy had come from the Satellite.

Though, the two adults also knew that things were only going to get crazier for the boy from here on out. Soon enough he'd have to go into Duel Academy, a world that was far different from any that he had experienced before. Alexis nodded to Syris, and the two teachers turned and silently made their way into the house again, leaving Yusei to his book.

Before they disappeared into the house Syris took a single look back, noticing that he was indeed reading again and patting Star's face as she watched them go. He found himself suddenly thinking of the boy's parents as well, and he swallowed past the painful lump in his throat. He and Alexis had learned the truth of their deaths from the letter that Yugi had brought back with him, and it had reopened the painful wounds once again. The boy hadn't understood the letter before when he was younger, but they knew that soon he'd have to learn the truth of it.

In a moment of bravery that Syris had nearly forgotten since the end of the war he'd helped Jaden fight was awakened again. His fist clinched by his side as he followed Alexis inside, lost in some thoughts of her own. He knew though that all of their friends would want the same thing. They had to protect Yusei now that they'd found him. They owed that much at least. There was no doubt in his mind that there was something special about that boy.

He had no idea how right he was, and that soon enough they were going to find out just how special the boy was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol that foreshadowing that no one suspected (the sarcasm is back). Well in the next chapter we're throwing Yusei right into Duel Academy where he gets a tour and meets a familiar face or two. He'll be going to classes soon enough but just because he's in Duel Academy doesn't mean that things aren't going to be interesting or hectic. Poor Yusei just can't get a break can he? Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter, because we're moving right along. Soon enough the war of his is going to start. So much fun right? ;)


	11. Eyes Wide Open

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here we go with chapter eleven. This story as of now has the most amount of chapters that any of my stories have, but again this is the one I have the most inspiration to write so far. Of course I'm still working on my other stories, but they're slower in coming unfortunately. Anyway, lets continue on with the story!  
> Thanks for all the support (for probably the hundredth time already xD)! I love you guys for it and it helps keep me on my toes with some of the questions that you guys are asking. I'll be sure to answer them, but some of them might take a while.   
> Anyway, let's get onto the chapter!

The car ride to Duel Academy was rather uneventful. Since Leo and Luna had already lived in the tops they had been taken up to school earlier by Jaden. Yugi was driving silently and watching the road ahead of him, and Merlin looked to be lost in thought in the passenger seat. Yami was just sitting in the back with the other two, saying nothing. Star and Yusei sat in the back and were silently staring out the window as they saw the streets and people pass by. This world still felt so alien to Yusei, and he just kept a straight face. Star though could sense his uneasiness and laid her hand on his knee for a moment.

“We're almost there,” Yugi said. “Are you ready?”

“I suppose I have to be,” was Yusei's reply.

“ _You won't get anywhere with an attitude like that,_ ” Star said. Yusei just shrugged.

Yusei looked up again, noticing that the Duel Academy's grand front gates were just ahead. He felt his stomach do a little flip flop as he watched the heavy iron gates and grand archway growing closer. It still felt like some odd dream to him, as if he'd wake up and find that none of this had ever happened. However as the car drew close the iron gates were pushed open and they found themselves driving into the school's front drive, up to the front offices (which honestly looked like some sort of mansion for a rich person.

As the car pulled to a stop Yusei glanced up and spotted a group of people. Some were obviously staff, all being older people wearing mostly black uniforms of some kind. There was also a group of students as well though, and it looked like a news crew or so. Yusei let out a slight sigh as he waited in silence. He supposed he'd just have to get used to it, knowing that with him being Yugi Moto's student he was going to get some attention that he didn't exactly want, including the media. He sat back as Yugi exited the car and smiled to the staff and students, getting some talking going through the crowd. Merlin stepped out as well, giving the news crews a look that plainly said he wasn't taking any funny business. Yami exited the car to stay by Yugi, leaving only Star and Yusei inside.

Yugi examined the people around him. It seemed there were a lot of young girls outside, apparently having heard what the last reporter had said and finding him as cool as she had said. The girls were all wearing a red uniform with white stripes down it and the boys (the few that were there) were wearing blue uniforms with white stripes down them. Before the colors indicated the lesser and higher classes of students within the school, but the Slifer Red, Ra Yellow, and Obelisk Blue color system had been taken out and everyone was treated the same way and put into classes that would help them develop more. The uniforms had also changed, simply meaning red for girls and blue for boys.

The teachers were all wearing a black uniform with white stripes running down it, so it was easy enough to spot people through the entire group. However the school's Chancellor was wearing a dark red uniform with black stripes. He was a tall man with a smiling face and was around Yugi's age. He had long blonde hair that was pulled into a pony tail and bright green eyes. He spoke with Yugi quietly for a moment and then looked towards the car with a smile, motioning for Yusei and Star to come out. Yusei steeled himself and then unbuckled and opened the car door.

As soon as he stepped out he heard the girls start fawning over him (to the annoyance of many of the males in the group). Star followed as he ignored them and walked over to join his new teacher and the Chancellor of the school. She could see why they seemed so hung on him though. He had a cool indifference to everything as if he he was not interested. It wasn't in his nature or past to be very expressive about anything. The guys thought he was trying hard to be cool too. She knew though that it was his nasty past of the Satellite that made him so impassive and careful. He made his way over to the man, who smiled patiently and kindly at him.

“Yusei Fudo I assume?” he asked patiently. Yusei nodded an affirmative. “Welcome to Duel Academy. I heard of your accident, and I think our school needs more selfless and driven people like you. My name is Skylar Voss. I am in charge of making sure things run smoothly here at Duel Academy, the fifth Chancellor of this establishment.”

At the name Fudo there seemed to be some murmuring among the students, though Yusei couldn't be one hundred percent sure what they were saying about him now. He just continued to ignore the talking as if the people behind him weren't there. The students seemed very unnerved of him now. He decided to simply nod and not say anything. Chancellor Voss just smiled as well.

“Well,” he said. “We have a special train meant for tours and such. However we'll still have to find a guide for you. We can take it from here Mr. Moto.”

“Thank you Chancellor,” Yugi said with a smile. He passed just beside Star and Yusei and smiled at Yusei as he passed. “You'll be starting your training today even though you won't be starting classes today. Make sure you get back to my place in time.”

Yusei again nodded to Yugi as he walked past, and Yugi seemed satisfied with that response. He knew this was lot for the boy to take in. He and Merlin (and the invisible Pharaoh) got back into the car. Soon they had pulled away and left Yusei alone with the strangers. However the Chancellor came to Yusei's rescue when the news crews looked ready to pounce forward. His severe gaze quickly made them retreat rather than face his wrath. Yusei felt more grateful to the man than ever. He was sure that he definitely did not want to face them.

Chancellor Voss then returned to smiling encouragingly at Yusei as he seemed to be thinking for a while. He was trying to figure out who would be a good candidate to give Yusei the tour around the school that he probably desperately needed. Yusei looked up to scan the crowd again and paused in surprise at what he saw.

There was a familiar face looking back at him. The young man was taller and well muscled for his size even though he was still thin. He had dark black hair with a few red highlights running through the bangs and bright yellow eyes. He was obviously a Duel Spirit since he wasn't wearing a uniform. Instead he was wearing a dark black leather coat with spikes in it, a red undershirt and black pants. The Duel spirit smiled when he saw Yusei looking at him, though his eyes nearly instantly moved to look at Star with some interest. Yusei knew that face anywhere, the Red Dragon Archfiend named Blaze. This was Jack's Partner.

Sure enough Yusei gave the crowd another glance through and soon found his old friend in the crowd. Jack Atlas was also very interested in Yusei's Partner. It had been two years since they had seen each other, and they could both tell that the other had changed. Yusei had probably gotten a little taller and a little stronger. Jack had certainly gotten much taller, and there was still muscle on him. He was more thin looking though. His dark blue eyes seemed to be sizing Star up carefully. His hair was a bright blonde, spiked in the back almost like a crown and short. The longest part of his hair was in two strands that hung over his shoulders.

Jack saw Yusei looking and then stepped forward, pushing his way past the rest of the students. Blaze followed, and all of the students seemed to fall silent as they watched Jack make his way forward. He had a rather severe look in his eyes, as if he was measuring up his old friend. Yusei however knew this kind of thing. He looked at everyone like that. Yusei stood his ground and met his eyes fearlessly. The two just stood there a moment. Jack shook his head suddenly.

“What happened?” he asked. “I was gone for two years and you and Crow managed to get yourselves into trouble. Two years. You couldn't have kept yourselves in line for that long?” Yusei let a small smile touch his lips.

“Life happened,” he replied. “Besides there was no keeping Crow in line and you know it. This was a little more, well complicated. I'll tell you about it later.” Jack raised an eyebrow.

“Well either way,” Jack said. “You're here now. Welcome to Duel Academy.”

The other students just stared at Yusei as if he had come from another planet. Blaze and Star were silently but cautiously greeting each other, and Jack turned, noticing what had gained Yusei's displeasure. While Jack didn't mind attention, Yusei did. Jack, Yusei, and Crow had grown up like brothers, and Jack was the oldest brother. He gave the group behind him a glare like a good older brother, making them quickly back off.

“Surprised?” he growled. “Well don't be. Yusei and I are like brothers. And we were both in Team Satisfaction so back off.”

At this piece of information the students started to murmur in a knew way, somewhat disbelieving and somewhat amazed whispers. However at that point Chancellor Voss turned around again and noticed Jack. He began to smile and nodded to him, getting a nod back from the young man. Yusei turned his eyes to the Chancellor again as well.

“Ah, Mr. Atlas,” he said. “Good to see you. Yes I'd almost forgotten about that. It seems we have a couple of celebrities in our midst again. If you don't mind me asking, what exactly did all of you do. I mean, role wise. We know what you did.”

“Well,” Jack said, having no problem with talking about it. Yusei just let him talk. Jack had always just been that way. “Kiryu and I were the group's powerhouses, we did most of the fighting. Kiryu though did lose it at one point.” He glanced towards Yusei, who looked down at the thought of the boy. “Crow was like our thief, and he could get in anywhere. Yusei was our brains. He could hack anything and get us in and out without a problem. Crow and Yusei were why there were so few of us and we were never caught by our enemies. Though everyone in Team Satisfaction had powerful magic so it's not like I can talk much.”

“I see,” the Chancellor said with a smile. “It seems that you had everything figured out. And it seems that you all had some good friends. I'm sorry about your other friend, but things happen in the past. You're both here now, and I hope this place will be a much better home for you than the Satellite ever was, even if it is better now.”

Yusei and Jack both just nodded. There was silence for a while, and Jack and Yusei glanced towards Blaze and Star, who seemed to decide that they could get along very well for now. Jack let his eyes travel to Yusei's injured arm, and he felt worried for his smaller friend. What on earth had he been thinking? He hadn't heard the whole story, only parts of it, but he knew that Yusei had never really been one to back down, not even against a Shadow Creature like that. The students continued to murmur to themselves and the news crews continued to make notes of things they heard. Yusei sighed a little. That was going to be all over the place now wasn't it?

“Well Jack,” Chancellor Voss continued. “Since you're here would you mind giving Yusei a bit of tour so he won't be so lost? It might give you some time to catch up as well. You know where the train is right?”

“I do,” Jack replied. “That sounds like a great idea.” He smiled at Yusei and motioned to him over his shoulder as he moved off. “Come on, this way.”

“We'll have someone take your things up to your dorm,” Voss said with a smile. “It's Dragon's Hollow. All of the dorms are named after something somewhat magical you see, and Jack is in that dorm too though you're not on the same floor. Be sure to get him settled in.”

Jack nodded over his shoulder again and Yusei just turned and followed Jack and Blaze as they made their way through the crowd and away. Star kept close by Yusei's injured side and kept glancing back behind them as they went on their way down a sidewalk and off towards a small station. Blaze starting turning to check behind them as well, then turned to Jack. Star turned to Yusei as well.

“ _We're being followed by those news crews,_ ” she said.

At about the same time Jack let out a tsk between his teeth. Usually he wouldn't have minded the attention, however it was annoying him now because he knew that Yusei didn't have that kind of personality to want such attention. And like a good older brother was, he wasn't going to put Yusei through something like that when he obviously hated it. Jack could see how tense it was making Yusei. He glanced at Blaze.

“Can you get them out of here?” he asked.

“ _I think I can help with that as well,_ ” Star said with a mischievous smile.

The group stopped and turned to look towards the news crews, who paused when they were noticed. Both dragons took a step forward and then transformed into their true forms. Alone they were both terrible and wonderful, and together they were absolutely terrifying. Star was beautiful and her scales shone in the light, stardust still seeming to fall from her wings. She showed all of her teeth to the news crews and growled her displeasure, making them back up a little.

Blaze on the other hand was a huge creature that was mostly black. His underbelly was covered in red scales that stopped where his tail began, and there were red lines running across his face. His tongue was blue and his eyes were a bright yellow. Red armor crossed his shoulders and chest, his arms and his hips. Spikes of a light brown ivory covered some of the red armor, and red scales were on his arms and legs like those on his underbelly. Like Star he stood on his back legs, and he had three toes in front of his foot and one behind. He had ivory claws on his hands in the same light brown and he had thumbs. His wings were black with red webbing and also like Star, claws on his wings. He also had two horns on the side of his head and one of the crown of his head.

Both dragons roared, getting the attention of anyone close enough to see the two of them, and they were standing in front of their Partners and snarling in a way that the news crews instantly understood as a warning to back off. They got a few shots of the two dragons and did so. Yusei noticed the difference between the two roars instantly as well. Blaze's was more like what a demon might sound like, a dark and wrathful sound. Star's was a prettier and higher sound, but still deep and threatening. He suddenly felt glad that the two were on his side.

Star and Blaze both carefully turned around, making sure not clip the other's wings or hit the two boys behind them with their tails. Blaze instantly lowered his head between Jack and Yusei, something he'd always done to everyone in Team Satisfaction. He had always been fond of them. Yusei and Jack both reached up and rubbed their hands along the jaws of the dragon, getting a deep purr from the creature. Then he carefully stood again and gave Star an inquisitive look, a watchful one. Star realized that he could trust his own Partner, but he knew who else he could trust as well. She decided she liked Jack and her strange dragon, so she lowered her head as he had done between the two.

Jack paused a moment as he watched her large golden eye looking at him, but Yusei didn't hesitate to reach down and start rubbing her chin. A purr instantly erupted from her throat, and Jack finally seemed to steel himself. He reached forward as well and rubbed her chin, and she didn't snap at him or try and pull away. Jack gave her an uncharacteristic shy smile, but Yusei's smile grew wider than she'd seen it in a while. He obviously approved of her acceptance of his old friend, as did Blaze behind her who also began to contently purr.

She could tell an obvious difference between the way the two of them patted her. Jack's hand was rougher, more playful in a way. Yusei's was gentler and careful. It wasn't that Yusei was scared of her, more like he just was naturally gentler with her than his friend. He was very perceptive also to where she liked to be scratched and would be sure to hit those spots as well. It wasn't that he was afraid, only more perceptive. Jack's patting wasn't unwelcome though, and she found that though the two were different in their approach they were both confident and friendly. She supposed that wasn't too weird though. They were both different people after all.

Star stood again to her full height again and looked down at Jack, who then turned to look at Yusei. He paused a little, surprised. He hadn't really seen Yusei smile like that since he'd been forced to turn Kiryu in. He had been very sad for it for the few months before he had come here. It had been three years, but he was suddenly grateful to the strange dragon for helping Yusei to smile again. He glanced up at her, curiosity overwhelming him. Where had she come from?

“So who is this?” Jack asked. Yusei looked up at her too.

“Her name is Star,” he replied. “She's a Stardust Dragon, and she uses Wind Magic like I do. She's a Wind Attribute Duel Spirit, even though she looks like she might be Light.”

“Star huh?” Jack asked. “Nice to meet you.” She purred loudly to tell him she thought the same. “How did you two meet anyway?”

“The same way you and Blaze did,” Yusei said with a wince. “Unfortunately. Except instead of facing a Duel Spirit from the Shadow Realm like you did we faced a Shadow Spirit, which was worse. I ran into her trying to fight the thing alone and got sucked into the battle. I knew we had to kill it or it would get loose in the Satellite. That's where these wounds are from, though she luckily had a spell to remove the poison.”

“A Shadow Spirit?” Jack gasped, horror in his eyes.

That was much worse than he had heard. He hadn't expected Yusei to fight against something like that at all, and now he was even more amazed and worried. Just the two of them had taken that thing down? He'd heard of attack of one in the Satellite and had been worried, but to think that the thing had actually be brought down by Yusei. Yusei! He had never really been one for fighting. He had apparently changed. Then again, having to protect the Satellite might have triggered the change in him. He looked at Yusei's injured arm with even more pity now. How much did that hurt?

Blaze on the other hand seemed very angry at the thought of the attack. When he and Jack had met and fought against the Duel Spirit from the Shadow Realm it had been a simple matter of driving the powerful creature away and back into the Shadow Realm. However Shadow Spirits were known for being angry and wrathful creatures that attacked and kept killing until there was nothing but death in their wake. It was a miracle that Yusei was even alive at all.   
Both the dragon and his Partner looked at Star with even more interest now. She seemed calm enough, kind and gentle especially with Yusei. But more than that, she was also very protective of him. They had not known each other long if the report was to be believed, and yet their bond was already so strong. They found it odd, but the other pair found it just as odd and they knew it wasn't something that they were going find out easily either.

Jack shook his head as if to rid it of the thoughts though. There was no use in worrying about things that were far over their heads. Today was supposed to be a happy day. Yusei was here at Duel Academy! Though Jack was a few years higher than him and technically an upperclassmen they were still best friends and brothers, and he was going to look after him. He smiled at Yusei, seeming to catch him off guard and out of his thoughts. Yusei raised an eyebrow slightly but also gave him a small smile. Jack clapped his hand gently on Yusei's uninjured shoulder then looked up at Star with the same inviting smile. Jack didn't use that smile often.

“You probably haven't had a chance to stretch your wings in a while,” Jack said. “have you Star? Why don't you and Blaze fly along beside the train as we go along. That way I can show Yusei around and you can fly for a bit.” He then winked. “Besides a beautiful thing like you should show off wings like that.”

“ _He certainly knows what to say to a girl,_ ” Star giggled. “ _He's so charismatic. But he's also laying it on a bit strong don't you think?_ ”

Blaze let out a laugh, and Yusei couldn't help but break into a laugh that he couldn't contain. Jack could only look confused as Blaze promised to tell him later and Yusei was laughing far too hard to try and answer him anyway. Star chuckled a little at Yusei's laughter, delighted in having made her Partner laugh more. Jack just shook his head and turned to move towards the Station again, deciding to try and ignore them. He failed and a confused scowl touched his face, frustrated at not knowing what she had said.

“Well come on then,” Jack said. “We don't have all day. It's time for your tour.”

Yusei quickly contained his laughing and ran a bit to catch up with his longer legged friend. Blaze and Star gave each other a smile and took to the sky to follow the two, circling around just over their heads as they boarded the train meant for the tours. Soon enough they'd be flying much faster to keep up with the Train as it rocketed around to give Yusei the tour he so desperately needed to get around campus. Star knew one thing though as she watched him enter the train. This school was going to be rather interesting. She could already sense it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Star, you have no idea how right you're going to be. How did you like Blaze and Star threatening the news crews? HA! Take that Media! Lol I used to work for my school newspaper. I was one of those annoying people who was always demanding an interview from people, so I know they're annoying. :3  
> Anyway, the next chapter will have Yusei going on the tour and getting to know the school a little better. We'll meet a few other characters that will be prominent and then we'll continue on our way to Yusei's first lesson with Yugi. Actually it's going to be Yami. Let's hope he doesn't kill him! XD He can be a strict teacher.


	12. The Rose and the Runaway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are with chapter twelve. I think I've got the cold, and I feel bad, so I've literally been doing nothing for a while. Wow, is this really the third chapter today? Cold + boredom + nothing better to do = more stories for you guys apparently. Well I certainly hope I get to feeling better. I like you guys but I don't want to crank out three chapters a day for a long time because I'm feeling bad.   
> Also people ask how I can write so fast. Well the answer is simple. Besides having a cold and being bored I also type about 40 WPM on average. So when I have an idea and get to actually typing it generally gets down fast. Then all that's left is editing. Of course I miss things and some sentences don't make sense but I do try and fix what I can. That's how I write so fast. Also because I'm inspired to write this story right now.

Yusei still found it amazing how Star and Blaze could so effortlessly seem to stay nearly completely in line with the front of the train while it rocketed by so fast. It was obviously a bullet train of some kind, having gotten from the station and about halfway to their first stop in a few moments, but the dragons flew by at the same speed as the train. Though they were flapping a lot to keep up, it wasn't flapping hard and they seemed to be enjoying the speed. People and Duel Spirits passed by in a blur, obviously surprised at seeing Blaze (who was a familiar sight) and the unfamiliar dragon zipping by quickly after the train. Every now and then they had to dodge obstacles but then they were right back up beside the train and enjoying getting to stretch their wings. Yusei couldn't help but smile.

Jack had seemed to forgive him by now for his laughing earlier, and he was smiling as he watched the two dragons, magestic and beautiful alike, out the windows of the train. This train was short and though it was shaped like a typical bullet train it was red and easily spotted. There was only three compartments and no driver. This was because the destination was selected at the front where the tour guide could have a microphone to announce to a full train what was going on outside. It had no other stops than its station, but it ran through campus and stopped at certain intervals to let those inside see the places around campus as well as let people safely cross the tracks.

It was all automated, and it was way more advanced than anything Yusei was used to in the Satellite. Though, so was everything else in New Domino City. A capital city was meant to be this way though, at the cutting edge. Either way though, he was glad to see Star more relaxed now. She obviously liked to fly, and this was her first chance to do so since she had arrived.

The brakes were applied with a squeal and the train was brought a little roughly to a stop. It was pretty smooth though for as fast as it was going, and Yusei turned his eyes to look at the place they were in. It seemed that for the most part they seemed to be in a sort of Plaza area. There were shops of different kinds in this place and students were walking around and chatting happily enough. There were larger buildings in the background and what appeared to be a small skyscraper as well. Jack pointed this out as he waited for the students passing the streets.

“This is the East Commons,” he explained. “West and East are the same. There are several shops here for things like fixing uniforms, getting books, a coffee shop, a restaurant, computers and other such things we need here on campus. Those buildings in the back are dorms. The shorter one is the Magician's Keep, and the larger one with the balconies all around it is Dragon's Hollow, our dorm. That dorm was made specifically for Dragons taking off and going in. The Magician's Keep was made for those with creatures like Dark Magician and other such spell casters. The larger building is full of classrooms. That one is Tully Hall, where we go for classes like History of Spells, Statistics, Literature, and other such core classes.”

Yusei looked up at the two dorms, and sure enough, he saw a large Curse of Dragon dragon taking off into the air with its Partner on its back. The Balconies bent under its weight but then straightened without a scratch, giving the creature the push it needed to safely take off without destroying the rest of the building, though the building swayed as if in a wind. He looked then to Magician's Keep, where there seemed to be things coming out at odd angles. The building shifted suddenly, as if reacting to magic that was pulsing within it. He thought that was probably a possibility considering all of the magic that was constantly pulsing through this place. He had a good feeling that this wasn't going to be a normal school at all. A place surrounded by such powerful magic was bound to have surprising tricks like that.

People outside were passing in front of the tracks fearlessly and waving at the windows invitingly even though they couldn't see inside them. A few were pointing at Star, who was obviously the new student's Partner since they would have remembered seeing her before. She and Blaze were looking up with interest at the Dragon's Hollow now, the place where they were going to be living. Jack reached forward and hit a button on the console to go their newest destination. The train gave its warning and people quickly got out of the way as the dragons soared upwards again.

The train pulled away from the stop and continued on its way, zipping by and leaving the East Commons behind it. Looking out Yusei could see parks and small little stops for recreation or relaxation, which many students were using with their significant other and their Partners. He even spotted a lake with a huge leviathan like creature coming out of it, whatever that was. He didn't get a good look at the Duel Spirit. They continued on their way, and Yusei quickly realized that there wasn't an acre of this place that wasn't used for something. It was kind of surprising and he wasn't sure how he was ever supposed to get around a place that was so big.

The train soon though was pulling into their next stop, the second. There was another intersection of sidewalks, but there were no shops like in the commons. To the left was a huge race track looking place that was empty and surrounded by a stadium. To the right was a large dome like building. Again people began waving invitingly and looking at the two huge dragons circling above the train. Jack pointed first to the right.

“That's the Pybus Physical Education Building,” Jack said. “Professor Rhodes puts everyone through their paces here, and she keeps things interesting with obstacle courses, tennis matches, things like that. That place is different every time you go in there. Its one of the more interesting parts of Campus.” Then he pointed to the left. “That's the Hatti Turbo Duel Stadium where Turbo Duels are held. There the humans ride Motorcycles as their Partners and their other Duel Spirit Contractors fight. There's a point system and rules like no attacks by or on the players, and its almost constantly booked by students and teams. It's one of the few 'sports' teams that nearly always has a game. The others would be Tennis, Soccer, Football, Basketball and Volleyball, but they're not nearly as interesting. I'm a Turbo Duelist myself but I don't have a team anymore so I'm out for now.”

Yusei had to admit that Turbo Dueling did sound interesting. He'd heard of it back in the Satellite, and sometimes people had some Turbo Duels in the Satellite, nothing like here though. There was a professional bracket for all of this. It relied on the skill of the rider trying to dodge obstacles and the power and skill of the Partners and Duel Spirits to take their opponent’s points out before theirs hit zero. It had been a game Yusei had always been interested in. Maybe he'd give it a try later. That would have to wait though. Besides, he owed it to Alexis to show up and be as good a student in P.E, even if he couldn't do much with his arm now.

Again a button was pressed and the train continued on its way. Jack watched the Turbo Duel Stadium pass by behind him. Yusei saw longing there. He obviously liked it, but without a team he couldn't exactly participate. Yusei made a decision right then and there and smiled to his friend, turning to look at him again.

“You really like it don't you?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Jack sighed. “But the rest of my Team graduated and became Guardians as well. If they had just graduated they could have remained my teammates until I was gone too, but they have their duty. You need a team of three to participate though, as well as a teacher sponsor. So I'm out.”

“Then I'll do my best to learn how to Turbo Duel,” Yusei said. “And I'll help you out with at least one member. I'll figure it out.” Jack smiled.

“It isn't going to be easy,” he said. “But thanks. I'll help you out with that.”

Yusei nodded and looked out again. There really wasn't a space that wasn't really used for something. There appeared to be more parks and such places where creatures of all kinds could rest and take in some of the sights of home. There was also a place where students were just sitting in the grass and talking and relaxing. It amazed him all the things that were in this place. He hadn't noticed all of it from so high in the Helicopter, but it was an awesome school. The Academy grounds were like an entire country in itself.

The train again halted in another sort of cross roads where there were four more dorms to their right. One had balconies, but none as large as the Dragon's Hollow, some times with lightning and fire leaping from different windows. One had trees growing out of the sides of it, and there was also one with what appeared to have an arena on top of it. The last had webs hanging out of the windows or cocoons. To their left there was a large building that was steel gray and had no windows.

“Those are some more dorms,” Jack continued. “The one with balconies is the Angel's Tear, where flying type creatures exist, other than dragons of course. Dragons are too magical to have a place other than Dragon's Hollow which was built to withstand their magic. The one was webs and cocoons is Insect's Sanctuary, where insect and Arachnid type creatures exist. The one with trees growing out of it is Forest Hovel where creatures that like the forest go. The last with the arena at the top is Warrior's Clashing where Warrior and psychical attack type monsters enjoy fighting.” He then pointed to the other building. “That is the metal workshop, where there are classes to build machines, and other things like that. You'll probably end up there. That's Gilbert's Workshop.”

The train was soon on its way again, passing more students with their Partners hard at work or enjoying a few off hours. There were also of course train tracks with Bullet Trains that were constantly in motion and moving around at a fast pace. Students would board at certain stops and get off there as well, hurrying on their way to class or walking leisurely to a place where they could rest their weary minds and feet. Everyone here tough seemed very happy and relaxed. Yusei had to admit that it was even more special than he had thought. This was going to be an interesting place to go to school. Blaze and Star were again beside the train, and Star was drinking in the sights as well. He couldn't hear her voice because of the train's walls but he knew that she was getting the same tour he was except from Blaze instead of Jack.

The train again pulled to a stop and Yusei looked up. To the right were two more school buildings, and to the left were three more dorms. One of the dorms had a river running through it, a saltwater lake, and ice pouring out some of the windows. The second had a desert outside part of it, lava running from another, and flames constantly flickering around the roof. The third had a graveyard surrounding it and looked to have gargoyles all over it. The two buildings were more normal, one looking like another skyscraper and the other looking like an arena as well. Jack pointed to the dorms first.

“Those are some more dorms,” he said. “The one with fire is meant for those creatures like like it hot, fire, lava, or desert. That's called Fire's Fury. The one with the graveyard around it is meant for creatures who are demons, undead, ghosts, or just plain dark in general. That's Demon's Wrath. The other is meant for creatures who like water or the cold. That's Water's Curse. Great names don't you think? This is a darker part of campus.” He then pointed to the other buildings. “Those are more classes. The tallest building that looks like a skyscraper is Riecard's Spells and Potions, where people learn to brew potions minor potions, use healing magic, and cast destructive spells. Next to that is Hollingsworth Arena, where practices for Turbo Duels are held, and classes involving magician and dragon fighting take place. That's a place you'll definitely end up going.”

They again carried on their way, and Yusei noticed that the train was beginning to go back the direction it had come. They had nearly reached the point where the Train could make its return trip through campus. They passed under a bridge that had a lot of foot traffic going across it and no one even blinked twice at the two dragons that went soaring overhead. Such a sight was obviously common place, and these students had somewhere to be. Soon though they approached another crossroads and the train pulled to a stop. To their left was a large building with many windows as well as a taller one with many doors, and to their right was one that had less windows and smoke coming from the top. Jack pointed to the two first.

“The shorter one is the Library,” he said. “Which I know you'll be spending a lot of time in since you love books so much. It's also used for many students as a study area for cramming for tests. The taller one is the Student Recreation Center, where when P.E is over you can work out and stay fit, swim or do other things.” He then pointed to the single building. “That's the main Cafeteria. I've heard the food is good, but I've never eaten there. Your student ID will get you in anywhere and buy you anything with your Student Credits. That's pretty much a currency here. If students run out they usually work for it but since we both have full rides we have unlimited credits. Nice I guess, though I don't know what to do with that kind of 'money'. The Cafeteria is a place to eat for free though.”

The train continued on its way, speeding by students and staff alike. Most of them acted friendly and inviting even though they had no idea it was only a single new student in the train. Even so they were kind enough to them and no one seemed to mind the red train crossing over sidewalks and warning signs flaring to life while guardrails came up along the tracks to keep people from walking across accidentally. The two dragons still flew by just to the side, putting themselves carefully through their paces until they were sure the speed they were going. Sure of that, they simply followed the train on its trip which was now drawing to a close.

The train slowed again in the second commons. It was identical to the first, except for the tall building in the back had no windows either and was made of red brick, and there were three dorms behind it instead of two. One of the dorms seemed to glow brightly and radiate light. Another had a jungle on its roof, and the last had telescopes and stars painted on it. Jack pointed out at it all.

“This is the West Commons,” he said. “The big building in the back without windows is the Russel Hall, where students learn how to summon Duel Spirits other than their Partners, find a Partner, and learn about the Spirit Realm and Shadow Realm. The glowing dorm is Heaven's Light, which is where creatures made of light tend to hang out if they're not categorized elsewhere. The one with the jungle is Beast's Respite where any creature that is a beast or animal goes. The last made to look at the stars is the Cosmos' Gift, where creatures not of this world go.”

“Each dorm has students in it according to what their Partners are, and if they don't have a Partner they're put into a dorm to the north or to the south, respectively, Norman's and Gina's halls. Those two dorms are the only that are separated into gender. Also to the north and south are the stadiums for sports other than Turbo Duels, and dorms for Earth, Thunder, and other such places that we didn't see on our way here. The rest of the dorms are Co-Ed, and they have Duel Spirits and hall monitors to make sure nothing funny happens. There are also North and South Commons that are like the East and West Commons only without dorms and with more restaurants and shops. Also to the North is the Guardian's Headquarters, and to the south is the Nurse's and Financial offices, along with the counseling offices. And that's about it for the tour. Now we can head back and I'll show you to Dragon's Hollow.”

With that done, Jack then hit another button, which rocketed them forward again. Soon the train slowed by itself as it entered a station just like the first, made of red bricks and only big enough to hold this single Bullet Train. It pulled to a stop and all the doors opened up, but neither one of the two boys moved as the dragons circled overhead. After a few minutes the doors closed again and Jack hit the first button, the one that took them all the way back. The train soon reversed and went off the opposite way they had come, and the dragons were soon in hot pursuit.

Yusei watched the strange and alien world fly past him on the red bullet train one more time, and he took in all the sights as much as he could. He knew there was no way he was going to remember all of this, but Jack was willing to help him get around. Besides, he'd get his schedule and a school map tomorrow. It was still hard to believe though that a place that took nearly eight hours to cross was not only just a small part of New Domino City, but also able to be crossed in only a few minutes by a Bullet Train. New Domino City was basically the Capital of the World though, and a nation in itself, and Duel Academy was its crowning glory.

Soon the train pulled into the first station, and Jack and Yusei both left the train and the station behind, walking out into the sunshine. The news crews and students had dispersed, though there were still a few Staff members hanging around outside and talking. Quickly though Jack went to Blaze, who lowered his hand. Without saying anything he stepped into the lowered hand and Blaze took to the sky, circling over their heads. Surprised but not confused, Yusei walked over to Star, who lowered her hand as well.

He had some difficulty getting into her hand with only use of one of his arms, but soon he managed it. Star cupped him safely within her claws and made sure he was steady on his feet before launching into the air and joining Blaze above. The lurch almost made Yusei topple down but he managed to keep his feet. Once they drew level with Blaze Jack laughed and called out.

“You okay Yusei?” he asked. “Haven't flown before huh? We'll you're doing alright for your first time, and you'll learn soon enough. Come on, it's must faster getting to Dragon's Hollow this way.”

Yusei didn't doubt that since they had kept up with a bullet train that had crossed this entire place from east to west in about twenty minutes. Star just made sure once again that he was again safely stable in her hand before turning to follow Blaze and Jack. Yusei found it much hard to stay balanced in her hand as well. The wind was constantly changing and pushing against them or pushing down. Star instinctively knew how to battle against it but Yusei didn't know when to brace for the change or impact of the wind. He didn't find it frightening though, only more fascinating. The Wind truly was a special thing.

Within a few minutes they reached the East Commons and flew over them, getting people to look and point up at the sight of the two strange dragons. However they didn't stop and flew right to the front of the Dragon's Hollow. In the front lawn however they touched down. Once Yusei and Jack were safely on the ground their dragons returned to their human forms and began the long walk up the sidewalk. However as they drew closer Yusei noticed statues at the entrance. They were each of miniature forms of dragons with their Partners standing in front of them.

There was one of a tall man with longer hair and severe eyes, and behind him was a Cyber End Dragon. Opposite him on the Sidewalk was a man who was just shorter with spiked hair and smiling eyes. Behind him was a Rainbow Dragon. Closer to the door was the form of Seto Kaiba with crossed arms and a severe look and a snarling Blue Eyes White Dragon behind him. Opposite him was a smiling man with a thumbs up and a Red Eyes Black Dragon behind him. Confused by this, Yusei turned to look at Jack, who just smiled.

“These Statue are put in front of the dorms if they have someone famous graduating from them,” he explained. “That's why there is Seto Kaiba, Joey Wheeler, who are part of the Big Three that formed this school. And also there are two of our teachers here in the Academy, Jesse Anderson and Zane Truesdale. Other dorms also have such statues, like Magician's Keep has Yugi Moto and his Dark Magician, and Warrior's Clashing has Jaden Yuki and his Neos. It's a testimony to those who have gone before, giving hope to those coming after. All the dorms have at least one, though some aren't as well known as others. The Dragon's Hollow however has the most.”

Jack motioned for Yusei to follow, and he did so. Both he and Star glanced again at the statues that surrounded them, feeling that their eyes were always on them and watching carefully like they were judging them and at the same time encouraging them onwards. They quickly went within the front doors of the Dragon's Hollow.

The first thing that Yusei noticed was that the whole building appeared to be swaying and moving with a wind, both reacting to the dragons taking off and landing outside and the magic humming through the air here. But it was also obvious that there were no elevators. This was evident by the fact that the entire building had a huge hole straight to the ceiling several stories up in the air. It was rimmed with balconies where dragons were landing and taking off to take their Partners to and from rooms. Roars rang out above and below as they made their way through the dorm, going up or going down. The noise was not too loud though. This place had been built to both cancel out noise and make it so the noise wasn't too loud.

Yusei did however notice one other thing. In the marble flooring (which had obviously been treated with something because it bore now scratches) was a relief. It was carved into the ground, and he was sure that he'd seen it somewhere before, but he couldn't think of where. It looked like a long dragon curled into a circle, and almost drawn like the Nazca Lines. It obviously had a head, a single wing, a single claw, a single foot, and a tail that almost looked like it would have a face on it as well. He wasn't sure what it was, but he felt there was something deeper to this sign than just a decorative marking. He shook the thought away however and followed Jack.

Jack went right to a desk that was in the back wall, where a single lady was waiting. As Jack made his way over to her and Yusei followed she smiled. The group of four reached the desk, and he noticed that the girl was wearing a uniform. She must have been a student here as well, however as she noticed the two (obviously attractive) males making her way towards her she seemed to blush and grow a little self conscious.

“H-Hello,” she said. “Can I help you?”

“Yeah,” Jack said with a smile to her. “I just brought my friend back from a tour. Yusei Fudo. Know which room he has?”

“R-Right,” she said. “Let me check.” For a few minutes she poured herself into the computer as she looked for the name. Soon she found it and reached into a drawer, pulling out a key and card like Jack had mentioned earlier with his picture, class, and status (which was fully paid) on it. She handed them to Yusei. “Here you are. You're room 784 up on the top floor. Most people would kill to have the top floor here, seeing as it's quietest up there. Anyway, I hope you find everything enjoyable here.”

“Thank you,” Yusei replied, offering her a small smile. She blushed and stammered something he couldn't quite here.

Jack and Yusei walked back to the center of the relief on the ground. Again Yusei got an odd feeling about it, and as he looked down he found himself reaching for his right forearm. He was going to stop himself when he glanced up and found Jack doing the exact same thing. He paused as he looked at him, and both of their dragons seemed to notice the movement and glance at each other. Jack noticed Yusei's hand on his arm, and they paused. Both simply looked at each other, watching silently. They were both wondering why the other had done it, and what it had to do with the mark on the ground. However both seemed to drop the subject nearly instantly and looked up instead.

“Alright,” Jack said. “So you're on the top floor? I'm in room 432 in the floor that's about halfway up. You really are lucky to have gotten the top floor. Anyway, when you want to go up or down your dragon will change forms and roar to tell people that you'll be in the air. That way we know when to look to avoid one another so there aren't accidents. Got it?”

“I think so,” Yusei nodded.

Both dragons transformed into their true forms, and still there was enough room for about ten more dragons their size on this floor, and that space was needed. Star and Blaze lowered their hands and the two boys leaped into the palm of their dragon. As soon as they were situated Blaze raised his head and split the air with a roar. Instantly he took to the air and began flying upwards. Yusei quickly tucked his card and key away as Star roared. Then they were also in the air.

The two dragons wasted no time picking up speed and altitude as they made their way through the traffic in the air to the top floor. Roars echoed all around them as dragons took off to and fro across the large room that took up most of the dorm itself. The beating of wings in air could be heard all around them, and it was surprisingly a soothing sound. Soon they fought their way through the masses and made it to the top, where the dragons angled towards the side and landed on the balcony in front of room 784. This also bent under the dragons' weights easily and didn't make the boys feel threatened at all. The air was where their Partners were most comfortable, and so were they.

The boys leaped out of the hands of their Partners, and they soon leaped down to join them in their human forms. The roof between levels was large enough to accommodate three dragons their size stacked on each other's shoulders, which was again, very needed. They went over to the room, and Yusei pulled out the key and unlocked it. Jack stepped inside first and flipped the light on.

The room was spacious and had two beds, obviously one for him and one for Star. There was a closet and a dresser, as well as a bathroom inside the room. Yusei's things were stacked neatly in the side of the room. Star found the room well enough to her liking, seeing as she didn't need to change clothes because this wasn't her true form, though she would still bathe and eat like everyone else. There was also a sliding glass door on the back of the room that led out to the balconies which were even now bending under the weight of a dragon taking off and returning to their straightened position. The sound of the balcony and the buildings movements couldn't be felt or heard inside at all. It was a comfortable room. Jack nodded at it.

“So this will be your room,” he said. “You two will come back here and relax everyday and Yusei you'll do your homework. Even so though, I think you'll have to leave soon right for your training?”

“Right,” he said. “I'm supposed to be there in a couple of minutes.”

“Well we should get going then,” Jack replied. “You'll be able to get there in time if you fly. I think Professor Anderson is around, so maybe he can take you. I'm not allowed to take another student without a flying permit with me but he is. We'll need to get your permit soon too.”

Yusei nodded and he and Star turned and left the room again. Jack and Blaze followed suit, then Jack flipped the light off and took the key from Yusei and locked the door behind them. He handed the key back, and Yusei turned to return to the balcony in front of him. However Yusei paused when he saw an unknown male looking at him carefully, measuring him up. He recognized that his young man was a dragon Duel Spirit. Star watched the newcomer very carefully for signs of aggression.

The young man was tall and had pale skin. His hair was a deep red color, and he wore a black and red leather jacket with a rose was pinned to the left side of his chest. He was wearing black leather pants as well, and there was a wreath of thorns wrapped around his left wrist that didn't seem to bother him in the slightest. His eyes were a dark coal black. Those dark eyes watched them carefully, and then there came a sound of a door shutting just to their left.

They looked and found three more people. One was another male, a darker skinned male with dark black hair that hung to his shoulders and light blue eyes. He had a kind of slouched back and wore a black shirt and black jeans with yellow diamonds on the cuffs of his shirt sleevs. He glanced up at the group of four but didn't look very interested in them at all. He just yawned and rolled his shoulders.

The girl that seemed to be his Partner looked up at them with a face that was even blanker than Yusei's which surprised both Yusei and Star a bit. She seemed a bit shy as well, and quickly looked away. She was average height for her age and a bit skinny, but she was very pretty. She looked around fourteen. She also had shoulder length black hair and startling red eyes. Seeing her friend's distress, the dragon's Partner stepped between the males and the girl.

This girl had severe eyes and was giving them a death glare that plainly said she didn't like them. Her hair was red and short in the back, though her bangs were long. Two long strands hung over her shoulders but most of her bangs were curled up around a silver piece of metal that was in her hair. Her eyes were a dark brown color. She looked about the same age as Yusei. This girl seemed ready to pounce on them. However she paused when her Partner suddenly looked away from Yusei and at her. She crossed her arms.

“Thorn seems to like you,” she said. “So I'll take that as you're alright, for now. You're my new neighbor? Good. Don't mess with me and I won't mess with you. Come on, let's go Rogue.”

The two walked to the balcony, where the male dragon hopped up on the railing. He transformed into his true form, which was honestly very breathtaking. He had a long black neck with red marks running across it and red and black eyes. He had a very smooth and bird like head with huge teeth. Red plant like formations ran down the back of his head. His body seemed rather large and to be made of rose petals that were red and rimmed with black. His wings seemed very small for his body, and petals seemed to float off of his body like feathers when he raised them. His tail was long and had huge and thick thorns hanging off of it, and he had bird like talons.

The girls and the lazy Duel Spirit took positions on the dragon's talons. Then he raised his wings and roared loudly. Both Jack and Yusei backed up quickly in case there would be an accident with those huge thorns. However as the dragon took off it was mindful of this and no one was hurt by his huge tail. The red haired girl glared at them the whole way down, and they watched her go. People in the air literally went out of their way to get out of HER way. Once she landed the dragon returned to his human form and they left through the front door. Star let out a growl.

“ _How rude,_ ” she hissed. Blaze told Jack what she said, which he sighed to.

“Actually that was very polite for Aki,” he said. “That's Aki Izayoi, the daughter of the governor here in town. She's a psychic so she doesn't trust people and she's feared for her powers. I kind of feel bad for her, but no one's crazy enough to go near her. They still call her the Black Rose Witch. Her Partner is Thorn, the Black Rose Dragon. Her friend was Rogue Henry, and we don't really know much about her other than she hangs out with Aki. She's quiet and doesn't really show emotion, though she seems shy. Apparently she ran away from home and her parents sent her here, but other than that we don't know much. Her Partner was that lazy guy named Sloth. Fitting, I think, since he's a Dark Lord Edeh Arae. Sorry Yusei, but it looks like you got a pretty bad neighbor. Just try not to bother her and it looks like she'll leave you alone.”

Yusei found though, that he wasn't satisfied with that. It seemed that Thorn had thought something about him, what he honestly wasn't sure. He found that he thought both those girls both looked rather scared, alone, and sad. He wanted to help them, and he made a silent vow to do so, even if he had no idea how he was going to do it. He shook his head though and turned to Jack.

“Well should we find Professor Anderson then?” he asked. He really didn't want to be late.

Jack nodded, and the two dragons hopped up onto the balcony as well and transformed into their dragon forms, making the balcony bend under them again. Jack and Yusei jumped up into the offered hands. Both dragons let out roars then simply fell forward and opened their wings so they caught the air under them. Then they carefully glided down to avoid the other dragons and roommates making their way through the dorm. Upon landing again they jumped off, and Jack went right to a door in the side of the dorm. He knocked, and the door was soon opened by a tall man with spiked blue hair and bright blue eyes.

Jesse Anderson wasn't prepared to come face to face with the very person he was supposed to protect here at school, right next to the other person he had to keep an eye on. When Jack Atlas Yusei Fudo appeared at his door with their Partners in tow he could only blink as he saw the two young men. Luckily Glisten nudged his side and he quickly smiled at them.

“Hello,” he said. “You must be Yusei Fudo correct?” Yusei nodded. “I am Professor Anderson, and I teach the class 'Reaching into the Spirit Realm'. What can I do for you boys?”

“Yusei needs to get back Mr. Moto's house quickly,” Jack explained. “and I can't take him with my permit but you could. Do you think you could help him out?”

Jesse kept smiling but felt his heart flutter a little bit in nervousness. He knew he couldn't just let Yusei wonder alone in this city, not with Roman probably watching his every move. There was no way he could say no. He'd promised his father that he would look after his son, and he'd promised the same to the boy's now dead mother. Yusei seemed to register that there was something else behind this pause, and Jesse realized that he was indeed very perceptive.

“Of course,” he said. “I have some time. We can go when you're ready. Do you know how to fly?”

“Not really,” Yusei replied truthfully. “But I trust Star to catch me if I should fall.”

“Star?” Jesse asked. Yusei pointed to his Partner. “This is Star, a Stardust Dragon.” Jesse blinked at the unfamiliar name but then smiled and motioned to his own partner.

“This is Glisten,” he said. “A Rainbow Dragon. Now that we're all acquainted, shall we go then?”

“Thanks for this,” Yusei said.

“No problem,”

The professor stepped out of his office and locked the door, then he and Glisten motioned for Yusei and Star to follow them. They went right back outside, where the sunlight was streaming in brightly now. Jack waved bye and quickly went back inside, to finish some homework or something. But Yusei had something else he had to worry about now. Glisten took her dragon form, which was a huge snake like dragon. She was white with a golden crown like formation near her head and yellow eyes. Her face was black and her jaws seemed almost incapable of closing. Her fangs were long and white, and she had huge bird like wings on her back. She lowered her head and Jesse leaped up onto it. Star soon took her dragon form and offered Yusei her hand. When he got in and looked up though, he found Jesse looking very surprised again. He shook out of it and smiled again.

“Ready?” Jesse asked. Yusei nodded.

Glisten soon took to the air, and Star soon followed, carefully holding Yusei so he wouldn't fall. The older dragon turned and flawlessly picked out the direction that Yugi's home was in and took off at an easy but quick pace. Star followed, making sure the whole way that Yusei was safely in her hand. He stumbled and wobbled against the air currents, knowing that he was going to have to learn quickly how to fly with Star or risk falling and dying. However he knew that she was a good flier and the trip which had taken about an hour earlier today only took around twenty minutes, considering there was little traffic in the air. Soon they reached the tops, and landed on the correct roof.

Nearly instantly after Yusei hopped out of Star's hand Yugi came out of the house, only there was something different. This person was far more self confident, and he had a much more strict look in his eyes than he had before. He was also taller and though he wore the same clothes as Yugi Yusei quickly realized that he was looking at Yami. He had heard that they often switched places in their war, and Yugi's conscious would wait patiently to return within the Millennium Puzzle, but it still caught him and Star off guard.

“Yami?” Jesse asked in surprise as the two dragons returned to their human forms. “Don't you think that's a little drastic for a first session?”

“Don't worry,” Yami said with a small smile. “I'll go easy on him. Yugi and I want to see what they're capable of so we know what we need to train him in that he doesn't get at school.”

Jesse didn't look convinced, and Yusei noticed this instantly. Jesse had heard from Jaden how much more strict a teacher Yami was over Yugi, and he couldn't help but worry for the injured boy for a moment as the ancient pharaoh eyed the boy carefully with his wise eyes. Yusei shrunk a little under that gaze, but only a little. It was as if he had had seen Yami before, but maybe he had. He wasn't sure. Either way Star and Yusei looked nervous and wondered what they had gotten himself into. Jesse found himself wondering how he was going to explain to Hakase that he was unable to protect his son from the boy's own teacher. He truly hoped that he did go easy on him this time, the boy was already battered up enough.

“Down to the basement,” Yami said. “Yugi owns that as well. That's where we'll be training since it's far enough underground to train something like Star without causing damage to the city. Hurry up.”

He said it in good humor and with a patient and gentle smile, but Yusei glanced up and saw Merlin nearby giving him an almost mournful look and felt like he was about to sign his life away. He just shrugged and bravely forged ahead even though he knew this was probably going to end in a way he didn't want it to, passing through the house and going towards the elevator again with Star close behind. Jesse just blinked after him and thought to himself that Yusei Fudo was probably one of the bravest young men he'd ever come across. Or maybe he was just ignorant to what Yami was capable of. Either way, he was gone now, and Jesse turned to return to the Academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's that OC I mentioned. I'm shipping her with Crow because why not.  
> Lol even Jesse is scared of Yami. That should probably have us all worried. Though that OC Rogue and her Partner were made by YuGiOhRox and added in here, so they're not mine. Anyway, they're going to factor into this story as well. Yusei's on his way to his first day of school soon enough.  
> This chapter got really long. But the dorms look like that because MAGIC! Hah! I can use that as an excuse in this world. The world is so full of magic that buildings that have been shaped and surrounded by it for so long can adapt to something like that. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and liked the strange new Duel Academy of the world of Dragon Pact.


	13. One Step Closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go with chapter thirteen! This is one where we get to see Yusei's first training session with Yugi/Yami, who is a strict teacher. We'll also learn about something from Aki as well. Next chapter however will have them going to their first classes and learning some things, as well of eventually getting Crow involved in the story as well. Oh and eventually Yusei and Crow are going to use their thieving/hacking skills to help out. It's going to get very interesting very soon. Hope you're ready. ;)  
> Anyway, let's get onto the chapter and see what Yami's got in store for Yusei and Star for training. Oops.

If this was going easy on him then Yusei dreaded to think what Yami had in mind for being serious. He'd thought Jaden had given him a rather pale smile and thumbs up and had looked very worried for him, and he could definitely see why that was now. He looked up again, forcing himself to stand before he was knocked back down again. His head was already pounding, but he was never one to give up. He supposed he did understand a little better what this training was supposed to do, but it wasn't easy. And it in fact hurt.

Yusei quickly decided that Mind Crush probably had to be his least favorite spell ever. Yami was standing calmly and facing him, watching him with those ageless eyes of his. The Millennium Puzzel seemed to glow brighter every time he looked at it, but he knew too that Yami was an Ancient creature with literally thousands of years to perfect his magic. He wasn't using much of his Mind Crush power, just enough to enter Yusei's mind and hit him with it. However even though he wasn't trying to physically hurt Yusei the boy had a migraine now.

Merlin was standing nearby to catch Yusei in case he fell so he wouldn't hurt himself more. He was in his true form and using his magic to keep the boy from crashing into the ground. However he was also in his true form in case Yubel couldn't handle Star. Star was going through a similar training method. Both were trying to learn how to fight off psychic attacks, something that they desperately needed to be trained how to do, especially since Yusei had already been targeted by a psychic before. And while it was not expected that someone would try to control Star like Yubel was doing, but they did this also so she wouldn't attack if she got too angry at their training with Yusei.

As it was, Yami was trying to teach Yusei how to fend off a psychic attack that would be more like an attack that a normal spell would do, not mind reading or mind controlling. And he was (unfortunately) very adept at this practice. The Spell Mind Crush was a powerful psychic attack that could be as harmless as breaking a part of someone's mind that held evil thoughts, thus returning it to good thoughts, or as extensive as a massive attack on the brain that could even do physical damage. He was very careful however to only hit the boy in a way that would do some superficial damage to his psyche that would heal quickly. It was obvious however that the boy wasn't faring well.

He was a little surprised though at the boy's resilience. Even for the split second when he touched his mind before he unleashed the attack he could tell that though he had pushed the boy, he was not yet at his limit. He didn't complain about the pain either, and just winced as he stood again. Yes, Yusei wasn't trained to fight psychics like Yami had been in Ancient Egypt, however he had a powerful mind and there was no fear in it. He just picked himself back up silently and prepared for the next attack, trying again to figure out the trick. The Satellite had made him more powerful than Yami had ever imagined, and he found himself intrigued by this mind.

“Again,” Yami said, meeting the boy's eyes. Yusei didn't look away. “Try again. This time I'm going to hit you a little harder. Remember, even if you don't feel another mind in your own and your foe uses a psychic attack be prepared to force them out or hit back. Don't be afraid of hurting me. Are you prepared?”

Yusei's eyes flashed. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to fight back against something like that, or even how. He did know however that it was possible that he could learn one or two psychic spells and master them powerfully even though he wasn't a psychic. If he forced himself to he could learn. For example, Yami had already explained that he wasn't a psychic, only had been trained long ago to fight psychics with a powerful spell, the same he kept using with devastating accuracy. The boy nodded, and Yami's eyes also flashed. He raised his hand.

“The force that controls the body and propels thoughts,” he said. “Give me the power to break it or mend it as I wish. Mind Crush!”

Yusei was mentally prepared to feel the force enter his mind for just a second before pulling away and feeling pain lashing out in his head, and this time he forced himself to prepare for it. He wasn't sure how but he was willing to try and push back. This time, he told himself, he was going to make Yami feel it, even if only a little. As the pain lashed against his head he also instinctively lashed out. The pain was worse than before though, and he fell forward again. Merlin raised his staff and caught the boy before he crashed into the ground yet again, however Yami blinked.

It hadn't hurt, but he'd definitely felt the boy's mind retaliate. He was honestly quite surprised that he'd managed that. They'd been at it for about an hour and half, yet Yusei seemed capable of not only receiving and spitting information right back out, but also learning quickly. And not just learning in the sense of memorization or knowing something. He was almost instinctively aware of how to do something. The Ancient Pharaoh frowned a little.

He'd never met anyone with an ability like that. It seemed a little too unnatural. It was as if the boy was receiving help from someone or something else. He wasn't sure what, considering Star was in the other room and obviously not very happy that Yubel was toying with her mind. Yami watched Yusei force himself to stand again for yet more punishment. Even Jaden, as stubborn as he had been, hadn't been able to last more than an hour against Yami's Mind Crush. If Yusei had asked him to stop he would have. He didn't want to push him past the limit that he was willing to reach. Yet he said nothing and met his gaze unflinchingly. Yami was starting to understand something about Yusei. He was determined to do his best, and he was going to do it. He was driven. Yami understood now why the people of Satellite seemed to look up to him so much.

Yusei shook his head as if to clear it, taking a deep breath. Yes, his head hurt, but he didn't want to disappoint anyone by failing on his first test against his teachers, as strange a pair as they made. Besides that though, he didn't have any idea if he was making any progress but he was going to keep pushing on until he made sure to make some. He sighed and silently prayed, though he wasn't sure to whom or what, that he would be able to get something done. Then he looked up and nodded to Yami again, who also nodded in understanding. Yusei wasn't ready to stop yet.

“The force that controls the body and propels thoughts,” he said again. “Give me the power to break it or mend it as I wish. Mind Crush!”

He reached out, lightning quick, to deliver yet another blow to Yusei's mind, and he visibly saw Yusei's face darken in preparation for the attack. He was ready and willing to try his hardest to hit back this time. That was the lesson that he was learning, and that was the lesson that he was going to force into himself with Yami's help, as painful as that was. He understood though that it was probably for his own good that he learned this. He needed the information taught to him, and he'd never heard of a less painful way to train against psychics anyway. So he was just going to have to force himself to suck it up and get it done.

Again Yami struck and again Yusei managed to touch Yami's mind before it was pulled away from his grasp. However something was different. As both minds collided, both Yami and Yusei winced visibly at the sight of something else flashing against their momentary battle of wills. Yusei could make out little other than a fluid and almost not solid form with yellow yes and lines running through it, and what appeared to be horns on its completely red body. Yusei again collapsed against the weight of the attack, and Merlin caught him since he had sensed nothing out of the ordinary. However both Yami and Yusei had faces that mirrored the same question.

_What was that?_

Yusei shook his head again as he forced himself to stand on wobbling legs. He shook his head, but the image of those watchful eyes was still burned into his mind. He had no idea what that thing had been, or why it had been there, but as he looked up at his teacher again he knew that he hadn't been the only one to see it. Yami was frowning now in concentration. He could tell that this thing was old, far older than even he himself was. To this thing even he was little more than a child. It was just Ancient and watchful. He looked up at Yusei.

Why hadn't he sensed this thing before now? Why had it appeared this time when he had touched his mind? It certainly hadn't seemed to be something that was evil, in fact he almost was sure he felt kindness from it. It wasn't the kindness like Yusei or even he possessed, but a much farther reaching kindness. He'd sensed the same thing from only a few other creatures before, the Ancient Egyptian gods who had helped in his battle against the evil god Zorc. Yet this was something he'd never seen before. What on earth had he just seen?

It had been many years since he had last contacted the gods of Egypt, and he knew that they couldn't be bothered with matters that were so easy. However this was something he felt like needed asking. It wasn't something he'd encountered before, and he knew that they would have answers if anyone did. They were thought to be gods for a reason, Ancient and undying creatures that protect humans not for their worship because they liked them for some reason. However as Pharaoh they had a special love for him especially and would speak to him if he called to them. Yami nodded to himself, having made up his mind about it, and looked up.

He paused as he saw Merlin watching Yusei with concern. The boy was wincing now, but not from the attack on his mind. His arm was out of its sling, and his left hand was gripping at his right forearm. There was obvious pain on his face as he looked down at it. Something about his arm seemed to be bothering him greatly. Yami was surprised and worried when he saw this, and he took a step forward towards him.

“Yusei are you alright?” he asked.

“My arm,” the boy said. “It burns.”

Yami quickly crossed the space between them and brushed the boy's hand away from his forearm. Yusei let him as the man pulled down the glove and then up the shirt sleeve. He was expecting to see an injury there, perhaps a bruise or burn mark since the boy said it burned, however he was even less prepared for what he did see. He gasped as he looked down at the boy's arm, and behind him Merlin bristled a little at the surprise, unsure what this mark meant. Yusei was utterly surprised too. He'd seen the mark before, but he had never seen it like this.

The mark was glowing brightly, nearly so much so that they had to look away for fear of hurting their eyes. It was in the shape of a dragon's head, and it was a deep crimson color. Yami hadn't known the boy had this mark on him, and he felt his blood run cold a little when he saw it. This was like what was in that letter from Hakase Fudo, the dragon mark. He wasn't sure what this meant, or even how it had gotten from Roman to Yusei, but there was no denying that it was there.

However Yusei suddenly looked at it again, and it seemed the pain had passed as suddenly as it had come. The mark's light suddenly faded until it looked to be nothing more than a large red mark left perhaps as a tattoo on the boy's arm. Even Yusei seemed surprised at this, and Merlin carefully took a careful step forward and silently cast a spell over it to test something. He shook his head at Yami silently, which seemed to concern the man more. Yami's frown returned.

“How long have you had this?” he asked.

“I don't know,” Yusei replied truthfully. Then he paused and thought. “Not before I met Star. It just suddenly appeared after that.”

Yami glanced in the direction of the dragon, and now he felt that there was something far stranger about her pairing with Yusei than he had originally thought. He wasn't sure what this meant either, but he knew that now he had to get some answers now and pretty fast. Yami's eyes grew more severe than ever, almost into a glare as he weighed the options. He had known that there had been something strange about this boy, but this wasn't something he'd ever expected. Apparently there was much more to this boy and dragon than meets the eye, a lot more. He stood suddenly, releasing Yusei's arm and walking away.

“We're done for today,” Yami announced. “Go get some rest for school tomorrow Yusei. We'll do more training later, probably on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. So we have a schedule. You did well for your first attempt. I could feel you beginning to make contact with my mind for a counterattack. We'll continue later.”

Yusei got the message clearly. Yami was distracted with some thought or another, and he obviously wanted some time to think about it himself. Yusei quickly pulled the glove and sleeve back into the right place and put his arm back into the sleeve, and then he turned and quickly left to find Star and get out quickly. He supposed he'd have to ask Jaden to give him a ride back to the Duel Academy, rubbing his temples as he moved away.

Merlin turned then to look at Yami. He hadn't seen such a serious look on his face in a long time, and Yami quickly read that the creature was very interested in him now. Yami had once had a Dark Magician Partner as well, but since the creatures only lived about as long as humans he was long dead by now and had also passed into the afterlife that he had been denying himself to protect this world for at least a while longer. Merlin reminded him a lot of his own Partner, and he could also hear him since technically he was only borrowing Yugi's body considering he didn't have one of his own. The Dark Magician turned towards him.

“ _What did you see?_ ” he asked.

“I can't be sure,” Yami replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. “I didn't get a good look at it. Though if I had to describe it I would say...dragon like. And it was the color Yusei's mark was glowing. I've never seen anything like either of those.”

“ _So you sent him away?_ ” Merlin asked. Yami just nodded.

“I did,” he replied. “Because I need to go do something I haven't in many years. I need to talk to Slifer, Ra, and Obelisk.”

Merlin understood instantly that this must have been serious for Yami to even consider bringing it up to the three gods. Being a Pharaoh, he was still rather religious about the gods of Ancient Egypt and treated them with the utmost respect. For him to be that confused or worried about it wasn't something that was rather normal. Merlin just nodded to himself and followed the man as he turned and made his way through the basement towards the elevator where he could quickly go back upstairs and to a quiet place where he could contact him. The Dark Magician returned to his human form and followed him quickly into the elevator.

The man crossed his arms and glared at the elevator door that made Merlin think that he was possible trying to use a spell to make it rise faster up to the top floor. It did no such thing however and after a few minutes or rising straight up they finally made it to the top floor. The door had hardly opened when suddenly Yami was out of them and walking purposely towards the front door, and Merlin had to run a little to keep up with him.

He opened the door and didn't even glance towards the twins or Jaden who was trying to appease him, or even Anzu that he would usually talk to when she came forward to ask him about it. She recognized the seriousness of his face though and paused, glancing at Merlin, who could only shake his head at her. He had no way of answering her anyway, so he just followed. Yami soon found a small room in the back of the house that was mainly used as an office for Yugi, however as the Ancient Pharaoh began closing the blinds it was clear that the usually cheerful room was going to be used for a completely different purpose.

Being in modern New Domino City, Yami didn't really have the tools that the situation actually required for. Often in Ancient Egypt an animal sacrifice was needed, as well as proper lighting and the light of a full moon, and other such things as that. Right now all he had were a few dusty candles and the setting sun. He didn't have time to wait another week for the next full moon though, so he made do without. He arranged the candles in a circle around himself and closed his eyes, reaching his mind up to the heavens as he had once done to ask about the future of the world and Egypt. Now he needed to know the future of the world and New Domino City. Same tune, only the back drop was different. He hope it would be enough.

Luckily for him though the three gods knew him well and were still fond in him and the (albeit extreme at one point) measures he had taken to defeat Zorc, even going so far as to seal his soul within the Millennium Puzzle. Soon the three Ancient minds joined him in that small space. Even though there was physically nothing in the room other than the two in it, the room seemed to darken suddenly and the candles seemed all the more brighter for it. Merlin started a little, still never quite used to the feeling of the three gods contacting Yami.

Merlin heard the fighting of the twins outside suddenly go silent as they too sensed it, but Anzu was dutifully (as always) standing guard outside the door and turning the inquisitive children away from the door. Even Jaden was soon silent from the sheer force of the three powerful gods. He quickly led the children away from the door, taking them outside, but even then the playful fighting didn't resume. All was now silent in the Moto Residence.

 _You have come,_ Yami said through his mind, sounding relieved. He was though speaking in a much more formal language than he had been previously.

 _We have come,_ Obelisk replied, a deep rumbling voice like the slowly quaking earth.

 _We have much to thank you for,_ Slifer said in a voice that was much like the wind. _We could not have defeated Zorc without your help Atem._

 _Besides,_ Ra added in a voice that was now soft like crackling flame. _You rarely contact us unless there is need to do so. So why have you done so now?_

 _I have found another young man that, like Jaden, is more than he seems._ Yami explained. _He is Yusei Fudo, the son of one of the men in the center of the Zero Reverse Incident._

 _We remember,_ Obelisk growled.

 _There were many dead that day,_ Slifer agreed. _Many souls who were taken from life far too early. The realms of the dead have rarely had so great a number from one area outside of times of the great wars come in in such a wave._

 _Many believe the boy's father was behind it,_ Ra said. _And many do not. There is much confusion from that time. Is this what troubles you? The boy's identity?_

 _No,_ Yami replied. _But what does is that the mystery of the Incident is only growing father, as well as mysteries surrounding Yusei and other young people of the era. I fear another war is coming and quickly._

 _What war would this be?_ Obelisk wondered aloud.

 _I am not sure,_ Yami replied honestly. _However I have seen and heard of signs of it. I have heard from the other realms whispers of something known as the Earthbound Immortals who are again moving within the earth._

 _The Earthbound Immortals are Ancient but evil creatures, also thought to be gods,_ Slifer replied, not seeming very interested in this information. _Every hundred years or so they begin to move again._

 _If that were all,_ Yami said quietly. _Then I would not be so concerned with it. I have begun training the boy, but during training I touched his mind and saw a vision of a creature that I have no name for. It appeared to be a dragon, but it was a large red creature with a fiery body and yellow eyes._

For a while, Yami waited silently. Then he paused, yes he was waiting. The gods seemed to be thinking of something. His unease suddenly returned, and he wondered what that poor boy was really involved in. He had no idea what was going on, but he waited as patiently as he could until he could be sure that they had found a sufficient response.

 _Then you indeed have good cause to be concerned Atem,_ Ra said quietly. _Tell me, does the boy bare a mark on his forearm? The mark of a dragon?_

 _Y-Yes he does,_ Yami replied in surprise. _The mark of a head on his right forearm. For a while after I saw the vision the mark glowed brightly. It was glowing crimson._

 _That is the Mark of an Ancient god,_ Ra replied. _The Mark of the Dragon. For many long years the priests of the god have been reborn in different forms, aided by dragons of great power who serve also this god. For a long time the Earthbound Immortals who have fought against the god have been sealed, and to keep them sealed the Ancient Dragon god has been a deep slumber._

 _However,_ Obelisk continued. _It was warned that one day the god's power would no longer be able to contain them, and the evil gods would once again be released upon the earth. They would be aided by their servants, the evil priests._

 _Over the years,_ Silfer continued. _The god has been silent, and his priests more so. It is said that priests have no gathered all together in thousands of years, but to awaken their god again they must all come together. These priests over the years also began to be called by another name: Signers. If you have seen this god then he is awakening. That also means however that the Earthbound Immortals are doing the same. War will soon reach this world._

 _We can speak no more of this,_ Ra said, sounding almost reluctant to not tell him more. _It is not the time for all the god's secrets to be revealed, not until he is prepared to show them to you. If you wish to know more, then you must look into it yourself._

 _But we will give you two warnings,_ Obelisk said. _First, do not trust easily. There are many who have woes and broken hearts, and it is these that can be easily transformed into servants of the evil gods._

 _Second,_ Slifer added. _Be wary of those that have the opposite marks of the Signers. They are the most powerful servants of the evil gods, and they have unrivaled power. Only the Signers have the power to fight them, and they are young._

With that the light seemed to return to the room and all the candles immediately seemed to blow themselves out as if a wind passed through the room. Merlin jumped a little at the heavy silence as the gods retreated from Yami. The Pharaoh remained still for what seemed like a long time, and then he opened his eyes. For a while he just stared at his knees.

“Signers huh?” he asked himself quietly. He glanced towards the windows. But if there were Signers, how many were their really, and where would they look?

Yami understood now that there was a lot more at stake around their young student than he had thought. There were so many things that the boy didn't understand. Would he and the other Signers rise to the challenge? Was there any choice? War was soon coming to New Domino City once again, and this time they had no information.

Last time he had known what was going on (even if only vaguely while his memories were mostly sealed), and after that Yubel had known exactly what was going on since it was her duty to protect the King's pure half (that being Jaden). Now however their only lifelines were an invisible and unknown god, and a few scared kids. His eyes narrowed and he looked at Merlin again.

“We need to find Marik and fast,” he said. “We need as much information as we can get. And we need it fast. And if we can't get him then we need to find the man who can.”

* * *

 

Yusei flopped down face first onto his bed, ignoring the pain in his right shoulder. He was exhausted, and he had school tomorrow. At least he wouldn't have to go through things like that every single day. Three times a week was more than enough. He understood that in the wrong run would eventually help him somehow, and that Yugi and Yami could train even a kid who was rather lazy like Jaden Yuki to be a top rank fighter, but it didn't ease his migraine with the knowledge.

Star sat beside him on the edge of the bed and made a gentle cooing noise at him, knowing that he was very tired and had worked hard today. She gently rubbed his injured shoulder to soothe some of the aching pain away from it, purring gently too him. She was suddenly more glad for Anzu than she had ever been before. The woman had come downstairs and made Yusei eat something before sending him away, also giving Star some migraine pills to keep up with and some pain killers along with his other medicine. Star had gotten him to take some and then he had just flopped down. However she was grateful that her Partner would soon be more comfortable.

There came the sound of the door opening, and a soft bird like trill. Star turned to look, glaring a little to tell the intruder that she would not tolerate much more around Yusei today. She found Thorn standing in the doorway with Aki peering just around his shoulder at the male student's collapsed form. Star found the sight of her irritating but forced herself not to snarl at her when she saw just a slightly pitying look in her eyes. Maybe she wasn't all that bad. Besides Yusei had made her promise to give her the benefit of the doubt.

“What happened to you?” Aki asked Yusei.

“Yami,” was his response, too exhausted to elaborate farther.

“Ah,”

For a few seconds Yusei's tired brain wasn't able to quite process what she had just said. However when he finally did he paused. Did Aki know Yami? Surely he'd heard of Yugi, and maybe even of Yami from the reports, but she spoke as if she knew his training techniques and that simple answer had explained Yusei predicament to her perfectly. He glanced up at her.

“You know him?” he asked. She shrugged.

“Not personally,” she replied. “But I've heard OF him from my teacher, as well as some of his training techniques. I pity you, but I wouldn't want to take your place.”

“Your teacher?” Yusei asked.

“Yeah,” Aki replied, eying him a little. “You and Jack Atlas aren't the only ones with private teachers. I suppose the three of us are kind of like a continuation of the Big Three. Your Teacher is Yugi Moto, Jack's is Seto Kaiba, and mine is Joey Wheeler. We all go over sometimes to Yugi's home and have training sessions in his basement.”

“Which is part of the reason you don't like Jack so much,” Yusei guessed.

“He's stuck up,”

“Yeah Jack's never really been good with people,” Yusei replied with a slight sigh. “But he's got a heart of gold, if you know where to find it.”

Yusei was quiet for a minute, just thinking. There were probably more questions he could ask her. About her teacher, about how she had come to be his student, about where she came from? He could ask all sorts of more personal questions. However he had (apparently according to Jack) amazingly gotten her to even talk to him and not try and kill him. She seemed somewhat different than she had before as well, in a better mood perhaps? Yusei was done worrying about things for a while though. His headache wasn't going to go away for a few minutes yet, and he really needed some sleep. He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose as if it would help get rid of his migraine.

“Sorry Aki,” he said. “Not to be rude, but can you go? I got Mind Crush used on me for about an hour and a half, so I have a really bad headache. I don't really think I'm up to talking right now.”

“Y-Yeah sure,” Aki said.

She sounded confused, almost like she expected him to continue on with the conversation. Like he would keep bothering her for something more he could know. Maybe he did want to know those things, but for now he wasn't asking them. He wasn't pushing her like others she had met that had wanted her around like some sort of trophy freak friend. Thorn had told her he was different than the others she had met, and she felt that maybe he was right, even if he was friends with some stuck up “King” like Jack Atlas.

She and Thorn quickly backtracked and closed the door to the room under the ever watchful gaze of the female Dragon that Aki hadn't even bothered to know the name of yet. Once the door latched she thoughtfully turned to look at Thorn, who raised an eyebrow at her.

“ _The boy is thoughtful of others,_ ” he said to her. “ _And he's very intelligent._ ”

“So what?” she demanded. “It's not like anyone wants to be friends with a freak like me. Besides I don't need you trying to play matchmaker AGAIN.”

With that she turned and stormed the few feet down the balcony and opened the door to her room. She quickly went inside and was going to slam the door closed but quickly thought better of it. She didn't want to cause the poor boy even more of a headache. She didn't ever want an attack like Mind Crush used on her, and for an hour and a half! She shook her head as she entered and let Thorn close the door behind him. She'd tried something like this before too and it had ended terribly. She wasn't going to let herself be obsessed over a boy again, even if he was very attractive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol I wonder what this is starting to foreshadow? Yes eventually Aki and Yusei are going to be a couple, and there are other pairings involved in this story as well. Because they're all high school age students and you can't have high school without drama and relationships. Also, what did you guys think of our first tidbits of information about the Crimson Dragon? We'll get to see more soon, so I hope you guys enjoyed.  
> Also the next chapter will start with something that apparently I'm pretty good at: a dream scape! Yusei will then be off to his first day of classes and have an interesting first day with Aki. Because as much as she tries to stay away from him, her luck keeps her right next to him for nearly all day. Because of course it does. ;)


	14. The Crimson God

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't been on in a while guys, but I've been really sick. I'm getting better now, so I decided to come back and start writing again. I'm working on updating all of my stories, but it's going to take a while. I hope you can be patient with me.   
> This chapter starts off with a dream scape, (which I have been told that I do rather well) so I hope that also meets expectations. You know who I'm talking to ;). Anyway, please enjoy this chapter. Things are going to keep moving a little slowly for a while, but the story will keep moving along and we'll see some more interesting developments.

It was a lake, golden in color. Yusei knew it was odd, but he supposed it could look gold on account that the light was reflecting through the clouds above and making them look gold as well. Was it close to sunset or sunrise? He could never be sure. The surface of the lake was undisturbed by any currents or wind and sat still like a giant mirror. It must be very deep again. In reality he wasn't sure where he was and kind of nervous how he got here. He knew because he recognized how much he was analyzing the situation in a search for understanding.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. It was just a dream. There was no need to freak out. Once he rationalized with himself that it was only a dream and there was nothing to be afraid of he finally took in the view. It really was beautiful, and rather peaceful. He looked towards the lake, and he felt curiosity over taking him. If nothing was going to hurt him here, he might as well try and figure out what was going on in the dream.

As he watched the lake a ripple suddenly passed through the middle of it. Again he found himself freaked out. There was no wind and apparently the lake was very deep. Something was in the water, which was causing the water to ripple. What was it? He wasn't sure he wanted to find out. He began to take a step back, but then his arm gave out a pang. The pain made him wince but quickly soothed away from him. He looked towards the dragon mark on his arm and pulled the sleeve of his school uniform (which he was wearing in the dream) up to look at it. He found the dragon mark glowing Crimson, but as he saw the glowing mark he felt himself calming suddenly. He didn't know why, only that there was definitely nothing to fear. Something was coming here now, from somewhere in the depths of the lake, but he didn't have to fear it.

With this in mind he looked up again, watching the lake. He didn't feel anymore fear as he watched the lake start to seethe. A dark red glow seemed to upset the surface of the water, changing the beautiful scene into a rather eerie one. He felt drawn towards the water suddenly, and without really thinking of why he stepped into the water and walked forward until he was about thigh deep in the water. Unsure how deep the next step would take him he stopped and watched as the water thrashed up to his waist and a little higher.

He watched with a stoic face as the water suddenly calmed again, but the glow grew brighter under its surface. Instinctively Yusei reached for his arm, pushing up the sleeve and holding the mark as he had before when it had burned him so badly. His injury didn't hurt him here, and he didn't think about doing so even twice. He watched the water as the eerie light remained in the beautiful scene. There was a long silence as he waited.

Suddenly the lake erupted into a flurry of activity and Yusei had to quickly shield his eyes from the bright flash of crimson light and the water splashing up into it. As he looked away he heard a sound unlike any he had ever heard. It was a lonely and deep sound, one of an ancient creature. It sounded like the cry of something from either outer space or deep from beneath the sea, something untouched and unheard of. Yusei felt his blood freeze for a moment in terror as he realized it was a roar. Another pang from his mark though quickly calmed him.

There was silence again, and he finally moved his arm to look up at the creature. What he saw made his jaw drop open and defied everything he'd ever read or knew of. Yet he knew that somehow he'd seen this before. It was on his arm, and carved into the floor of the Dragon's Hollow's Floor. He could only stare up at it, trying to figure out both why he wasn't afraid of something so huge and ancient, and why he felt so at peace with it. Just seeing it relaxed him to a level that he could only call to his very soul. Somehow only one word came to him: Destiny. He'd never believed in destiny. But he was suddenly finding himself believing in it now.

The creature was enormous, towering above him and easily the size to wrap completely around the Dragon's Hollow from top to bottom and still be able to spread its wings. Its body was long and snakelike. It was definitely what Yusei thought of when he thought of creatures thought to be gods. Its body seemed to be insubstantial, both there and not there. It was made out of something that appeared to be plasma and it glowed gently. It could only be described as a crimson color. Its body seemed fluid and always in motion, and yellow streaks ran through it. Its huge head turned towards him, and its eyes were the same bright yellow color. Its wings had no webbing, as if it could fly with only the strange line like structure. Its claws were sharp and its fangs were as well, though its whole body was the same color. It had horns, and its head resembled his dragon mark. Its tail seemed to have a second face etched into it as well. Its legs were short but he didn't doubt it was powerful.

Yusei could only stare at the creature as the enormous dragon roared again with its lonely cry. Then its body seemed to settle into position above the lake. The water calmed and the creature lowered its head. Its great eyes looked down at the tiny form of the human below him. He was sure that it was looking at him though its eyes gave no indication of doing so. Yusei winced as a deep soothing male's voice came to life and echoed powerfully through his mind. He knew somehow that the dragon was talking to him, and he wasn't sure how.

“ _ **We meet at last,**_ ” The dragon said. “ _ **I have been searching for you for a long time Yusei Fudo, one who carries the Mark of the Dragon's Head.**_ ”

“Wh-Who are you?” Yusei asked nervously, unsure how else to respond. “What are you? How do you know me?” The dragon, to his surprise, nodded approvingly, as if knowing his confusion.

“ _ **I am an Ancient Spirit of the Spirit World,**_ ” the dragon said. “ _ **And thought once by a people to be a god. I have always liked humans and watched over them, so you** **need** **not have to fear me. Your mark should have told you that.** **For countless generations I have chosen my champions, or my priests as the ancient humans called them, to protect the peace in my absence as I slept and guarded the world. For many years they have remained separated, but the time will soon come when they must all meet again to guard the world in this new age. War is coming Yusei, and I need your help. As for who I am, I am known by only one name: The Crimson Dragon.**_ ”

“My help?” Yusei asked.

The god watched the boy for a moment then spread its wings. It circled slowly around the boy, dropping to his level and pausing again so that his great eye was looking directly into Yusei's. He couldn't help but freeze as he looked at the god. Slowly however, forgetting his fear, he reached out and laid his hand against the dragon's nose. He nearly instantly froze again, wondering if that was something he should do. The creature seemed to welcome the touch however and began purring. If he was a god, he was an affectionate one. The god laughed gently suddenly, and Yusei felt the tension leaving his shoulders again.

“ _ **I see you are confused,**_ ” The Crimson Dragon said. “ _ **Do not worry. You do not have to be. I told you that I am both kind and patient with humans. I have enjoyed the company of your kind for many years. Now I know there is more you wish to ask. Continue Yusei. I will not tell you all. Now is not the time for that. But neither will I keep you in the dark. Ask what you wish.**_ ”

Yusei just blinked at the creature thought to be a god. What could he ask? What did he dare not to? As gentle as this creature seemed, he knew that he was all powerful. But again, he didn't fear him. He felt safe next to the Ancient Spirit, like nothing could harm him here. He sighed and closed his eyes, feeling his hand stroking the god's nose as if against his own will. The creature continued to purr as he opened his eyes to ask questions again.

“You called me a,” Yusei said, pausing” Priest? Is that what this mark is?”

“ _ **Yes,**_ ” The Crimson Dragon replied with a slight nod, ever so gentle since the boy was touching his head. With as big as the head was, he wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't felt the slight shift under his hand. “ _ **It is the mark of those that are chosen by me. I choose my Priests according to what is in their hearts, for I can see the hearts of all humans. Some are purer than others, but all have good hearts and are willing to do what it takes to protect those they love, for that is the greatest form of love. However those with these marks have another name that grew up throughout the years: the Signers. As such, the mark on your arm is known as a Sign. There are Six Signers and Six Signs, each making a part of me. Without all six I am incomplete.**_ ”

“If there's a war going on,” Yusei asked, “Then why haven't the Signers met before? Why haven't they been preparing?”

“ _ **That is because I slept,**_ ” he replied. “ _ **While the Signers appeared and kept peace, they did not have my powers. Now that I have awakened our Ancient War must begin again. My powers kept that seal in place, and now I must return it to you. My Signers were not chosen down family lines, but from people all over the world who were worthy of my gift. This gift faded nearly completely out of all knowledge, but it is returning now. I give this knowledge and my gift now to you, and my power will soon begin to awaken in you.**_ ”

“Seal?” Yusei asked with trepidation. “What Seal? And what powers?”

“ _ **The Powers of the Signers,**_ ” the dragon replied. “ _ **The powers to fight against the evil that is coming, and the powers to cast magic far more powerful than any you have yet faced. This is a magic felt in the soul, and Ancient form of magic that is protected through the Six Signs and me so that no one Signer is ever hurt by such immense strength. The Seal then is that which had ended our war before. Once the Signers had become split and the schism was so large that they would not fight together. Our war would have been lost, and the world would have fallen to the evil ones. That was five thousand years ago. However to protect the world I sealed the evil ones away using my own power, taking it from the Signers who had so foolishly abused it.** **They regret it now in the afterlife, however what was done cannot be undone. A new generation must arise and take up this war. You and the other five however will not fail me. I have seen into your hearts, and you are strong. Nothing will waver you.**_ ”

“We-We'll try not to,” Yusei said, feeling a sudden pressure. “But, who are the Sealed ones that were so terrible they tried to destroy the world?”

The dragon let out a growl now, a deep and terrible sound. Then its great mouth opened and it let out a roar of defiance. It was a loud and angry sound, and the eerie tone of it made Yusei's scalp prickle. He jumped back quickly in alarm as the dragon's body suddenly tightened closer around him, almost as if protecting him against the memories within the creature's own mind. When it next spoke, he sounded furious.

“ _ **They are the Earthbound Immortals,**_ ” he said. “ _ **My brothers! They were born at the same time with me in the Spirit Realm. For a time we were peaceful, but they wanted more and their hearts fell into evil and a darkness which one can never return from. They enjoyed harming those that I loved. So I took it upon myself to stop those wicked gods. That is why the Signers were created. However they created Signers to fight my own, each having their own god since the Earthbound Immortals did not care for humans, not even those helping them. These were evil Signers, or Dark Signers if you will. They too are returning to help their gods, and I pity these creatures for they are broken and consumed by darkness, but not cruel or evil themselves, only forced to act so. There were once only five Signers, but I then changed the number to Six as I slept to face the evil.**_ ”

“And the Signers,” Yusei said quietly. “I'm supposed to find them? Where am I supposed to look?”

The god paused as he looked at the boy. He nearly instantly relaxed as he saw the boy's face. He was scared and had no idea how he was supposed to do something so big. However he was more than willing to try. He was determined to try and give it his all. Seeing this the Crimson Dragon suddenly laughed and begin to purr again, pushing his nose gently back under the startled boy's hand. Yusei quietly began to stroke the god's nose again.

“ _ **I see I was not mistaken in my choice then,**_ ” the Crimson Dragon said. “ _ **You are indeed the correct person to lead the Signers on their quest. Be strong Yusei. But know this as well. Those that I have chosen have already been drawn to you, both in your past and in your present. You have met all five of the other Signers. Now you must wait and watch.**_ ”

“I've already met them?” Yusei asked.

Yusei suddenly thought of Jack and how they had both grabbed their arms at the same time upon seeing the mark of the Crimson Dragon upon the floor. However as to who the others could be, well he didn't have a clue. What was he supposed to look for. As if reading his mind the Crimson Dragon let out a loud purr and answered.

“ _ **The Signers are evident by another marker other than the Signs themselves,**_ ” he said. “ _ **The Signers follow a god that is a dragon. As such I thought it only appropriate to give them partners that were also chosen by me. These are all dragons from the Spirit Realm as well.** **These dragons are secret, not well known, and rarely seen. They are creatures that are even to this day, not very well documented if at all. Even other Duel Spirits rarely come across these creatures. They are elusive. If you have never heard of a dragon, chances are they are a Signer. Six Dragons, specially assigned to be the partners of Signers. Star, your Stardust Dragon Partner, is one of these. The others I believe you could figure out on your own.**_ ”

Strange dragons? He could think of four. Blaze was not one he'd ever heard of, and neither was Thorn. Quake and Monarch weren't ones that he knew either. Would Luna and Leo really be Signers? If the Crimson Dragon chose them for what was in their hearts and not how old they were then they could be. Why couldn't a person of any age be a Signer? The thought of leading a group of people kind of made him uneasy but he quickly pushed the thought down and met the gaze of the great dragon in front of him again.

“I can think of four,” he said. “But I don't think I've seen the fifth unless I'm forgetting something. Or they haven't met their dragon yet. But what should I do?”

“ _ **Simply watch for now,**_ ” he replied. “ _ **Watch and help the Signers along. They will come to realize their destinies soon enough, for I will visit them when the time is right as well.** **For now you alone must be the world's eyes. Be careful whom you tell of this encounter, for the enemy has many agents. And be on the lookout for the Dark Signers. My mark will tell you when one is near, as it will tell you when another Signer is in danger. The pain will connect you, and only when you all come together as one will the pain let you rest. An unfortunate side effect, but a useful one none the less.**_ ”

“So I'm just supposed to wait?” Yusei asked nervously.

“ _ **For now,**_ ” the god said. “ _ **Yes. That is all you can do. We cannot risk making a move until the enemy is first prepared to move. It will be a long waiting game. But the Earthbound Immortals will soon grow tired of this game and make the first move. Then, we will strike. You must be patient.**_ ”

“I will be,” Yusei promised with a nod. Then however he paused and met the god's eye again. “But why are you telling me all this? What makes me so special?”

The dragon moved suddenly and looked at the boy closely again, as if measuring him up once more. He seemed to pass whatever test the Dragon had devised though because he suddenly nodded and returned his head to its place under the boy's hand. He purred again as the boy began to pet the god's nose again, unsure what else to do under so Ancient a gaze.

“ _ **Because I have chosen you to lead,**_ ” he replied. “ _ **You are the one, yes out of all six, you are the one that most represents the one who would best lead. You are also the bearer of the Dragon's Head, which has most been the leader over the long years. Sometimes it is the wings or the claw, the heart, the foot or the tail, but mostly it has been the head. You are also the one that I have chosen to summon me to battle when I am needed.**_ ”

“Summon you?” Yusei gasped.

“ _ **Yes,**_ ” The Crimson Dragon replied, completely serious. “ _ **There will come a time when my power through you will alone not be enough. I am powerful, and I can fight all of the Earthbound Immortals where a human could not. If they should appear you would need to summon me to your aid or the world would be lost. You thought that complete sign of the Dragon on the floor of the Crimson Dragon was for nothing? They found that sign and placed it there, not knowing the importance of it when they built the place. Once all Six Signers are gathered it appears on the summoner's back and allows them to summon me. When all Six Signers gather that Sign will also appear on your back to allow you to summon me. That is the greatest power that I can grant, and the most important. Be sure that you do not abuse it.**_ ”

“I-I won't but,” Yusei said in surprise. “Why am I worthy of it? I mean, I'm nobody. I've done nothing.” At this, the Crimson Dragon laughed loudly.

“ _ **This is why you are so worthy of it Yusei Fudo.**_ ”

Yusei found himself more confused than ever about what the god was talking about, but he found himself thinking that it was rather rude to try and argue the point farther. The god seemed fixed on the idea that he was the man for the job, and he didn't really feel like he could argue with that. He was Ancient and considered all knowing. He supposed that he knew what he was doing and relented it. The god nodded and looked at him carefully and closely.

“ _ **Six Dragons and Six Signs,**_ ” he said. “ _ **All of their meanings must remain for now a mystery to you. I will tell you at another time, but dawn draws near and you must awake. However there is one last thing I must do. I have kept you long, but there is one final step to initiating this war. It is a rite of passage. I must accept you officially as my Signer by touching the Sign on your arm. Only then will you truly be a Signer. However this bond is powerful, and as the first you will be connected to me in a way that no one else will. You will be able to communicate with me when I call to you through the veil that separates the Spirit World and your own. However this touch will be felt by everyone in all four realms, yours, the Spirit Realm, the Shadow Realm, and the Realm of the dead. There will be no hiding it, not even from our enemies. Stay close to your friends and especially your Dragon until the others are found. It is a dangerous time for you, young Yusei. Do you understand?**_ ”

Yusei found himself nodding in reply even though he wasn't sure how he was supposed to take something like that. Dangerous? He could imagine that it would be. He certainly wasn't going to take any chances. He found himself a little scared all over again. What was he supposed to expect from something like that? What was going to happen? The dragon moved, his nose positioned above his arm. He moved his hand away from his forearm as the dragon looked almost mournfully down at the mark on his arm.

“ _ **This will hurt, and I apologize,**_ ” he replied. “ _ **Remember, stay near your friends. Wait and watch. And be careful young one. I will be watching over you.**_ ”

Before Yusei could protest or ask what he meant the dragon closed his eyes and touched the tip of his nose to his arm. For a moment there was only silence. Then suddenly he felt pain shoot through his arm and all the way through his head. His whole body felt like it was on fire.

* * *

 

Before he realized what had happened he had sat up completely out of bed and was screaming, clutching at his burning arm. Star was instantly at his side, not understanding what was going on but pulling him into a tight embrace as if to protect him from the pain he was feeling. He wasn't sure though with how the walls were built that anyone but maybe Aki would hear him. They were made to block out the sounds of Dragon's roars. His pitiful scream wasn't going to be heard by anyone.

There seemed to be a shiver through the world suddenly though, as if the whole world felt the great beast putting his faith into the boy. The whole world seemed wide awake and watching, wondering at what great presence it had just for a moment touch their world. The door flew open suddenly, but Yusei couldn't look up.

His scream had faded but the world seemed to be spinning and wouldn't stop. He could barely make out what was going on past the pain shooting through his entire body. He recognized Star began to growl savagely, and another dragon nervously entered the room. He heard Aki ask him what was wrong and worriedly approach, the instinctive need of another human being to help one in pain. He couldn't reply or do anything other than clutch at his burning arm.

Aki slowly and carefully approached, mindful of the furious and confused Star. She managed to pry Yusei's hand away from his arm as he forced himself to remember how to breathe. Instantly he felt her freeze as she looked down at the mark. He opened his eyes and paused as he saw her. She looked furious at first, but then she seemed to think of the pain he was in now and her eyes softened sympathetically. She laid a gentle hand on his burning arm and met his eyes. She gave him a sad smile and he realized she was saying something soothing to him.

He was covered in sweat and shaking from his muscles having seized up like that. But Aki didn't leave. Star kept holding onto him tightly and Aki gently rubbed his back through his strange little episode. Yusei suddenly felt glad for all of their company, even Thorn who just stood silently with his arms crossed at the door as if to protect the boy against any intruders. After what seemed like an eternity the pain passed and he was left gasping as his muscles finally relaxed.

“Better?” Aki asked gently.

“Y-Yeah,” he said quietly. “Thanks.”

“What was that?” she asked. He just shook his head.

“I,” he said then paused. He thought about lying, then thought better of it. “I had a dream. There was a dragon, a huge Crimson Dragon.” This made both Thorn and Star freeze and stare at him. Aki noticed this instantly as well. “He told me to wait and watch. Then he touched my arm and it burned.”

“I felt something the same instant I heard you scream,” Aki replied. “It was quiet, but the feeling woke me up, like something strange had touched the world. Like something was happening. I guess that's what I felt. Your mark's glowing is fading now.”

“You know what it is?” he asked, curious. She looked away for a moment but sighed as Thorn spoke to her.

“I do,” she replied, rolling up the long sleeves of her pajamas to show him a mark. It looked like a claw, though he wasn't sure if it was the back or the front, of the Crimson Dragon. “I have the same sort of mark. It gave my psychic powers and my parents hated me for it. I hate it and them, not like you'd care. But I guess I understand that it's painful, though I've never had it hurt like that.”

“I don't think you should hate your parents,” Yusei found himself replying quietly.

“What would you know about it?” She snapped. Yusei's eyes met hers, and they were sadder than she'd ever seen them. They made her pause.

“At least you have your parents Aki,” he replied quietly. “I never knew mine. They died in the Zero Reverse, whatever really happened there.”

Aki looked at Yusei for a few moments. She wanted to argue and tell him that he had no idea because his life had been no where near as hard as hers had. But as she stared into his sad eyes she realized that he did know what it was like. His life had been harder than hers because he had grown up in the Satellite. Without realizing it, this brought the realization that Jack Atlas acted the way he did too because of the Satellite. She felt bad suddenly and looked away. She'd never thought of someone else's life being harder and more painful than her own. But she had to remember to that there were many kids like Yusei who'd lost everything in the Zero Reverse, even as infants.

“Hey um,” she said quietly. “I can show you to class. You have Dragon Basics with Mr. Trusedale right? It's pretty much standard for us. I'll show you there, since you're new and all.”

“Thanks,” he said quietly, still trying to get his head to stop spinning.

“Well, don't get used to it,” she replied, standing and quickly going to the door. “Just get ready alright? You're already up. Might as well get there early. I'll come back in a few minutes. Shower up. You look terrible.”

With that she quickly left, and Thorn soon followed. Star finally saw fit to release Yusei and gave him a close inspection before she was satisfied that he was going to be alright. Without saying anything she went to retrieve his medicine and made him take it before she sat down beside him and looked at him closely.

“ _You saw it?_ ” she asked. “ _The dragon?_ ” he nodded. “ _He was the one who sent me to find you, and then this mark appeared. It seems he's been watching us._ ”

“I think he has,” Yusei replied quietly. “I was worried about my training with Yugi and Yami, but now it seems like we have much bigger things to worry about. Everything's just so confused now.”

“ _Well,_ ” Star said gently. “ _You don't want to be late on your first day to class. Get showered and dressed. Aki will be back soon._ ”

Yusei was a little surprised that Star didn't seem to mind Aki's presence around as much. It was probably because she'd also been here trying to help him out in whatever way she could. He nodded and gathered up his toiletries. Then he grabbed his towels and quickly went inside the bathroom, shutting and locking the door. Inside he shook the thoughts of all the things that could go wrong now from his head and undressed, getting into the shower.

He turned the water on to a temperature that was probably going to end up being to hot, but it relaxed his sore muscles anyway. He quickly bathed, careful with his injured shoulders. As the water rinsed away the lather he found his eyes lingering on the terrible scars for a moment again. He shuddered to think that they could have been the death of him. He was sure that when he finally could leave his arm out of its sling for good that Jack would not like seeing them one bit, and neither would Blaze. That's just what he needed.

He carefully washed his hair, and the sore and unused muscles of his shoulder pulled a lot more than he was used to. He winced but forced himself to use them. He'd be using them soon enough anyway. Star would protest if she heard about it, but he didn't think it would matter much. He rinsed away the suds and quickly left the shower, turning off the water and drying off. As he dried his hair he found his eyes drawn to the two marks, the one on his arm and on his face. These marks were new, but they defined him as much as these scars did. The thought of his new duty was staggering.

He shook the idea away as he dressed and brushed out his hair quickly then began to brush his teeth. These everyday things suddenly seemed odd to him, like everything was about to change and somehow none of this felt right. What was he supposed to do? What could he expect? He wasn't sure but he knew that sooner or later he would find out. He straightened out his uniform them paused as he heard a knock on the door.

“You almost done?” Aki asked from outside. Yusei reached for his sling and slid his arm safely back inside.

“Yeah,” he replied. “I'm coming out.”

He finished smoothing down his hair and threw his towels and pajamas into the dirty clothes hamper in the bathroom, then quickly stashed his toiletries away as he grabbed his shoes. He opened the door and went to his bed without looking over at Aki. He pulled on his shoes in the somewhat awkward silence of the room now. With that done he looked up at Aki, who had both their school bags thrown over her shoulders. She held his out for him, and he took it with a nod of thanks.

“Well come on,” she said. “We should go. We really don't want to keep Mr. Truesdale waiting.”

Yusei just nodded and followed her out the door, throwing the straps of his bag over his shoulder. They went through his room to the outside balconies. The wind was sharp and a little cold, and the balcony bent under the weight of the two dragons perched on its edge. Thorn and Star were waiting outside for them, and already dragons were zooming to and from balconies. The two huge creatures were peering out at the hazy morning fog that sat over the city, but both let out purrs as the two humans approached them. Star held out her hand and Thorn balanced on one foot, offering the other. Aki and Yusei leaped into the protective claws of their dragons and looked outward.

Yusei might have been slightly worried about flying with his dragon, seeing as he'd never really done much of it before with Star. He trusted her, with his life and without a doubt, but it was still nerve wracking. It was beautiful to fly in the talons of a dragon, but it was scary too. However his mind wasn't on his beautiful partner, but the great Crimson Dragon. What was going on, and what was going to happen now? He wasn't sure who he could trust or needed to stay away from, and the danger of the situation was making him nervous. Star could sense it as well, but she knew that he relaxed a little in her claws. He could trust her, and she was determined to prove to him that he could.

Both dragons paused and looked up as they saw Blaze landing careful on the balcony, which bent farther to give him room to take off again. Aki glared up at the dragon's rider however, and Jack Atlas could only stare at the odd sight. Aki was really very close to Yusei and Star, and what was more, she really didn't seem that interested in them. But more than that, Yusei was distracted greatly by something. His right arm seemed to be bothering him, because he kept gripping at the forearm under his sling. He wasn't really sure what was going on in this situation, but he felt worry for Yusei suddenly. Jack had always been bad around people, but those who knew him knew he had a good heart. He didn't want Yusei to be hurt, and he felt that instinctive need of a big brother to look after the younger, even if they weren't related by blood.

“Yusei?” Jack asked in a much gentler voice than his normal one. “Is something wrong?”

“Hm?” Yusei asked distractedly. “No not really.”

“I'm taking Yusei to class,” Aki growled. “I checked his schedule and we have the same classes today, so I'm showing him around. Is that a problem, Atlas?”

“What?” Jack asked in utter surprise. “N-No I guess not but...man Yusei how do you always manage to do this?”

Yusei smiled a little, understanding what he meant. Yusei was just that kind of person, even as expressionless as he seemed, that people liked. They would talk to him and respect him without a doubt even if he wasn't really trying to be that friendly, or people were not that outgoing. Look at Jack himself! He'd never really liked people, and he'd only been put with Yusei as a child because their last names bound them together because of their parents that they'd never even met. Yet Yusei had made even the King's heart melt. He wasn't a normal person. Still, Aki was an achievement, even for a person like Yusei. It was no wonder that Jack was confused.

“Ready?” Aki hissed, more at annoyance to Jack than at Yusei.

“Yeah,” Yusei replied. He smiled again at Jack. “See you later then Jack.”

“Y-Yeah,” Jack said. “See you.”

At this, Thorn let out a roar and took to the skies with Aki safely balanced on one of his claws. Star also let out a roar and followed close behind, launching up into the skies above the Duel Academy. They didn't hold back in their speed, confident in their ability to keep their riders from falling, and they were wanting to stretch their wings and enjoy flying for a while. They were fast, much faster than their sizes suggested, and they both joyfully let out roars as they flew. Dragons enjoyed the companies of others of their kind and humans as well, even if the dragons weren't the same species as them. Yusei couldn't help but smile as he saw the two enjoying their flight.

Aki glanced towards the boy, thinking how strange and distant he seemed for someone who was rather kind. She noticed the smile playing on his lips, how relaxed he seemed. The sight intrigued her. She had always enjoyed flying with her dragon. It was a freedom that had never been taken from her, and Thorn was her partner. She trusted him with her life. Seeing Yusei smiling with the same enjoyment made her feel that she could like him even more now. Obviously Thorn trusted him, having sensed something about the boy that even she hadn't. Maybe she did instinctively trust the boy, which is why she had invited him to follow him when she pushed everyone else away. She quickly looked away before he noticed her looking. She was getting rather sentimental.

Thorn was just to the front, having known this area much better than the two of them. Star was following him at her leisure, and as the red dragon began to slow the silver one did as well. They circled lazily down to the ground and let their riders jump down from their perches before ruffling their wings a little and returning to their human forms. Now in a much better mood for the morning flight, Star smiled and latched onto Yusei's uninjured arm. She even managed to flash Aki a smile, who gave her a small and secret one in return. Yusei still saw it though, and he smiled a little as well before quickly wiping it away before Aki saw and somehow got offended by it.

Yusei instead looked up and recognized Hollingsworth Arena, the place where practices for Turbo Duels were held. He supposed he'd have to ask about what was needed when the time came. However it was also the place were Magician and Dragon Fighting classes were held, and he knew for a fact that this was why they were here. He tried to remember what Syris said about his older brother, but he couldn't really think of much on account of the fact that part of the building was currently holding a slight explosion as two Magicians were fighting. Unperturbed Aki motioned for Yusei to follow her inside so he did. He glanced to the left as they passed a window and noticed the source of an explosion was a Dark Magician Girl who was trying to block the attack of a larger Magician's Valkyria. The littler Magician however was holding her own pretty well against the older one, though she looked to be pouting a bit at her instructor who had a Dark Magician behind her, a much younger one than Merlin. Yusei shook his head and followed Aki and Thorn inside, Star just a step behind him, away from the oddly familiar sight.

They turned instead into an empty arena type area. It seemed larger than the others, but Yusei supposed that it had to be in order to house two fighting dragons, some of which would be twice the size of their own. In fact it was large enough to house two dragons double their size with room to spare. Yusei got a good feeling though that they would be fighting mostly in the skies however. He looked forward and noticed two people standing there already.

One was facing the door, obviously a dragon. He was wearing a gray jacket and gray pants, and there was blue running through his jacket. He had gray hair as well and gray eyes. Behind him was a man not facing the door, but one that Yusei recognized as having a statue out in front of the Dragon's Hollow Dorm. This was Zane Trusedale, a formidable man with long blue hair and blue eyes, both dark. He was wearing the black and white uniforms of the staff. Both students walked towards him with their Partners in tow.

Zane paused when he heard from his Partner Cyber that Yusei Fudo was here. Already? Somehow he suddenly felt nervous. What was he expecting? He wasn't entirely sure, but he turned to look anyway. What he saw made him pause. Yusei certainly looked like both his father and his mother, but his eyes were rather expressionless. He had lived a hard life up until now, and it hurt him that Zane couldn't tell the boy that his father at least was still alive and watching over him as much as he could. However he did notice that the boy gave him a long hard look, trying to read the odd expression on the instructor's face. He was smart, but Yoko and Hakase's child had to be.

Zane gave both students and their dragons hard glances, taking them in. All four of them seemed to be in rather good physical condition and he could spot nothing wrong except the obvious injury to Yusei's arm. He also noticed how closely Star was sticking to the boy's side. He could tell that they already had a healthy relationship between them, though the female dragon was bound to be a little furious at least because of the boy's wound, and he didn't think she'd let anything get past her. He turned to observe them fully as they walked up and stopped in front of him. He then seemed to nod to himself and addressed Aki first.

“Doing well?” he asked. It wasn't in his nature to be friendly. She nodded. “Good. And Thorn?”

The dragon instantly changed into his true form for the teacher to look over. He was still as strangely magnificent as he remembered him being, a creature unlike any he was used to seeing. Thorn lowered his head and Aki began to scratch it as he waited for Zane to decide what he thought of the creature. Zane looked him over for a while before nodding.

“Good,” he replied. Then he steeled himself as he turned to look at Yusei. “Yusei Fudo, correct? I won't lie to you. I knew your father, and I was there the day of the Zero Reverse. He was a good man, and I can tell that you will be too.”

“Thank you sir,” Yusei replied simply.

Zane watched the boy for a moment, looking him over. Something in his eyes seemed to respond to the praise of his father, but it didn't really register across his face. The boy didn't really trust him, he realized, but he couldn't say he blamed him. Zane wasn't exactly the easiest person to get along with, and he knew he didn't give anyone really that good a first impression. But the boy was patient and rather tolerated everyone, which seemed fairly evident to him by the fact that he had come in here with Aki. She didn't really trust anyone either, but she seemed to tolerate his presence well enough, which was a feat for anyone. He wondered what this boy was really like, but knew that he had a job to do. He had to watch over the boy, but he had to get to know him as well.

“I'm not going to ask how you were injured or why,” he said. “I'm not interested in that. However if you're going to be in my class there are things I need to know. Mostly for now though about your dragon.” Zane turned to look at her. “I don't believe we've been introduced. I am Zane Trusedale, instructor of the Dragon's Basics class here. My partner is Cyber the Cyber End Dragon.”

“This is Star,” Yusei responded for the dragon, who pursed her lips as she looked at him, still sizing the man up and not in the mood for talking. “She's a Stardust Dragon.”

“Stardust Dragon?” Zane asked in surprise at the unfamiliar name.

He looked at the girl carefully. She was obviously the boy's partner because they had the same mark on their own cheeks that sparkled oddly, and she wouldn't leave the boy's side. The boy obviously trusted her with his life as well and didn't mind her so close. He glanced at her, looking her over. Then he nodded to himself.

“Would you mind changing into your dragon form for me,” he asked. “So I can get a good look at you?”

Star seemed to consider for a moment, but then she nodded and changed. Zane couldn't help but let his jaw drop at the sight of her. What a creature! She was both beautiful and terrible, yet she was completely gentle with Yusei as she leaned her head down over his left shoulder. He began to scratch her nose and she purred to him as the instructor just stared at her. He'd only done the same before with Jack's dragon and Aki's upon seeing them the first time. But it was different with Star. She was the most beautiful dragon he'd ever seen, and probably the most surprising.

Her bright yellow eyes seemed to bore into the instructor for a while as he managed to close his mouth and met her gaze. She wasn't intimidated by him and she wasn't backing down. He found himself suddenly reminded of Jaden, only she wasn't laid back. She was fiercely protective and she wasn't going to just stop being that way, and she wans't going to be scared of some human. He found he liked her, as much as he found he liked Yusei. He didn't know much about them, but he was sure that they made a great pair.

“Very well,” he said. “Thank you. You two may take seats in the stadium seats to wait for the rest of the class.”

The two students nodded as their dragons returned to their human forms. All four went up to the stadium seats high above them and began to settle down, treating each other with some of the awkwardness of people who had just met and only slightly become friends. He watched them for a moment, knowing that soon other students would begin to show up as well.

He couldn't help but let his eyes linger on his friend's son. If only Hakase could see him in person! He was a strange kind of person, but even Zane could tell that he was a very good one. However something more was bothering him about the boy, something he could see but couldn't quite name. There was something oddly watchful in the boy's eyes, something careful. He could tell that the boy knew more of what was going on than he was letting on. Zane was sure that he had to take even more special care with the boy than he had originally thought. There was no doubt that there was something going on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this chapter ended up being longer than I thought it would. Next chapter will have them actually doing some class things and getting Yusei and Aki accidently starting their relationship even if they don't want to. Because I want them to ;)  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this extra long chapter.


	15. In Dire Need

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go with chapter 15 of Dragon Pact! This story now has 27 favorites and followers! Thanks so much for all the support! Also thanks to those of you who've been supporting Eyes of Darkness and Fate's Gaze too! This trilogy, once completed, will be really great and you'll help me make it that way with your support!  
> Also all three stories of this trilogy are now in a community called “The Silent War Series”. You can go there to read them all too, which is made for you to read them all at the same place if you're reading them together.  
> Anyway, let's get on to the chapter!

Yusei couldn't help but blink a little at the sheer number of people who were pouring into the classroom. Some of them were human spell casters and obviously had dragon partners. After reading that book on how to recognize dragons in their human forms he could tell which of them were dragons. However there were quite a few who weren't dragons at all. It did confuse him a little bit, so he gave Aki a perplexed look, who was sitting next to him, but just out of arm's reach. She watched him a moment, then seemed to realize why he was confused.

“You'd probably agree I think,” Aki said quietly but meeting his eyes. “that seeing two dragons fighting would be quite incredible. Well everyone else thinks so too. A lot of students come to observe the Spellcaster's Fighting Classes, but much more come to see the dragons. If students have free time they'll show up to watch. It's something they quite enjoy. We sometimes can become quite popular for that. That's part of the reason Jack's so popular even though he's horrible around people, though I suppose he's found some friends who like him well enough.”

“I see,” Yusei said, looking over the crowd again. “So basically we're entertaining them as well as learning. I suppose there's no rules against it either since Professor Truesdale isn't turning them away. There's quite a lot of people here.”

“Yeah there is,” Aki sighed.

Yusei glanced around and noticed that though there were many people coming in, none of them came within three rows of Aki. In fact, Yusei and Star were the only two other people who occupied the same space as her. He felt both a little pity for her, and disappointed in her. Yes, maybe she did have psychic powers, and maybe psychics were feared, but watching her push everyone else away made him disappointed. She wasn't helping the situation by making herself something to fear. She had one friend, and that was the mysterious Rogue and her Partner Sloth, however he knew that she couldn't keep her world closed off like that. He glanced towards her and saw Thorn looking right at him. There was something in those eyes that told him that her Partner agreed and thought the same way. Yusei sighed and looked forward.

He spotted Rogue and Sloth in the crowd, obviously looking for Aki and surprised at seeing him so close to her. He also, not far away, spotted Jack and another young man that Yusei didn't recognize, but was standing to close to Jack and talking to him as they both looked through the crowd for someone. The young man was tall and rather well muscled. He had darker skin, whispering of some race that had probably gotten stranded here after the Zero Reverse. He had black hair that was pulled into a ponytail behind his head, and he had carefully calculating brown eyes. In fact, he looked a lot like Martha in a way, though it was obvious they weren't related.

The young man had a girl standing behind him, obviously his partner. She seemed rather short and had a cute face, but her body language and eyes were far too fierce to be called cute. She was probably older than she looked, though she appeared to be too young to be the Partner of the boy who looked more grown up than he was. It was difficult to make out eye color, but he thought she had blue eyes, and there seemed to be a scar covering the eye on the right side of her face. She was wearing a short white dress and white shoes. Her hair was chin length and was white with two strips of black running through her bangs.

The Duel Spirit, whatever she was, saw Yusei looking and grabbed Blaze's jacket sleeve to get his attention, pointing at him. Both Spellcasters were soon alerted to his presence, and they looked up. Their jaws seemed to drop as they spotted Yusei sitting so (rather blatantly) close to Aki. Yusei noticed Aki huff in irritation, having also seen them, and look away quickly. He couldn't blame her. She probably thought she was being paraded around like some sort of freak show.

However their attention was soon gained by their instructor, who stepped forward and gave the crowd one severe glance over. The talking that had been going on instantly died, and there was now silence. He looked over his students and pulled out a clipboard with all the names on it. Seeing how many people were here, he probably needed it just to keep everyone straight. He looked over the list then looked up, letting his powerful voice echo through the arena.

“Alright class listen up,” he said. “Today we'll be doing an interesting sort of lesson. This lesson will be about learning when it's best to use your dragon's breath. Most dragons have some sort of breath or ability close to that, and if you're ever in a real battle timing will be key. So I've devised a little test to see how well you can get a dragon to use this ability in battle.”

Yusei paused as Zane looked again around the stadium, waiting for any complaints. There were none forthcoming. Yusei however felt his eyes narrow just a little. He said dragon, not Partner. Were they not going to be using their own Partners? He didn't have time to ask however as the Professor continued right along with his lessons.

“The task will be a team task,” Zane continued, making Aki tsk in annoyance. “There will be two teams up in the air during the battle, and standard rules apply. For those who don't know these rules, I'll explain. There are to be no attacks on humans. While dragons can handle the force of these blasts humans cannot. There will also be teams of volunteers circling just outside of the radius of the battle to catch anyone if they fall. Also, in this battle dragons can't just unleash their breath whenever they feel like it. They'll be waiting for the command of the human flying with them, and it's the human's task to time the shot to hit the other team's dragon without knocking the other human off. Falling off or knocking off another player will result in point deduction. Dodging is allowed, and points will be gained for direct hits, which I will be keeping track of down here. When Cyber roars the battle will be decided and when both teams safely land the winning team will be announced.”

There was some mumbling about these rules, nervous or excited mumbling. Dragons were known for being insanely powerful, and this could prove to be very dangerous. However that was also just how Professor Truesdale conducted his classes. He made it as safe as possible, but he also made it difficult. He pushed his students until they might just break and then kept pushing them. It wasn't that he was cruel, no it was just that he knew what dragons were capable of, and what humans were capable of too. He had high expectations, and his students knew well to shoot for them as best as they could. It was for this reason that he was both loved and hated at Duel Academy, not that he seemed to mind much. Zane looked around again.

“However there is one more rule,” he said. Everyone fell silent again. “The human teammates will not be using their own Partners. They will be switching Dragons with the other human on their team.”

The murmuring became much more nervous now. It was well known that Dragons didn't like to be separated from their Partners, and they could be fiercely protective. Sometimes they were even extremely fierce in protecting the people that their Partners cared for. Professor Truesdale had just made this dangerous situation even more dangerous, but the look in his eyes plainly told everyone that he wasn't backing down on this.

Yusei felt himself growing nervous as well, and he glanced at Aki. She met his gaze with the same nervous face that he was wearing. Those with Dragon Partners especially knew the dangerous position that they had been put into. An unknown dragon was a dangerous one, and this could prove even more so since they would be unsure how the others operated. They looked back towards Zane with wide eyes, wondering when this insanity would start.

“The teams will be drawn randomly,” Zane announced as Cyber, still in his human form, walked up and held out a box. Zane reached in and drew two names. “The first team is Kenny Matias and Natalie Lenord.”

Yusei looked up and watched as two students around his age went down to the floor. Natalie was a little pretty girl with long black hair and big blue eyes. Behind her came a male Duel Spirit that had red eyes and blonde hair, wearing a simple t-shirt that was yellow with purple on it and jeans. Kenny was a tall and rather smug looking young man that didn't have his uniform on correctly and was trying really hard to look cool. He had dark red hair and green eyes. Behind him came another male Duel Spirit that had gray hair and red eyes. It was a tall creature with pale skin and wore a gray and white jacket and jeans. As they reached Professor Truesdale he reached in for two more. However as he looked at the names he paused and stared for a moment before looking up.

“And the second team is Aki Izayoi and Yusei Fudo,” he announced.

The silence that had seemed to fill the arena suddenly seemed to grow heavier at the mention of the Duel Academy's infamous Black Rose Witch. Aki and Yusei looked at each other again, yet both couldn't help but let a little relief appear on their faces. Even if it was only a little, their dragons weren't complete strangers to each other. Aki's eyes hardened into the fierce glare he'd first met her with and she nodded to him. She stood and made her way with Thorn close behind her to the floor. Yusei soon stood and followed, giving her space. Star was close behind.

The silence was unbearably heavy as Aki made her way down to the floor, and every eye was trained on her. However there was some murmuring (probably of pity) from the crowd as they saw Yusei, and that he was injured. Apparently Aki's reputation proceeded her. Yusei chose to not look at the crowd and instead let his emotionless eyes turn to Zane. Zane was watching the odd team and frowning a little to himself. It was an odd pairing to say the least.

“Alright,” Zane said. “Both teams will be given two minutes to prepare a strategy. No one else is allowed to talk to them until they're done. Then you'll switch dragons and take to the skies. Volunteers, both in class and out, please step forward.”

Zane turned to the all important task of finding enough volunteers to cover the skies and keep a close eye out for anyone who would fall during the battle. Yusei sighed a little and turned to Aki, who was glaring daggers at Kenny. Yusei glanced over and saw him flirting with Natalie (who looked rather timid and had obviously never talked to such a popular boy before). She was blushing and smiling at him, drinking in his praise. He could see why she didn't like him. He seemed rather spoiled to him, like he had always gotten everything he wanted. Aki hadn't, and she looked ready to tear him apart to wipe the smirk off his face.

“I know you're not the kind of person to really hurt or kill someone,” he said to Aki. “But you could try to be more friendly towards people.”

“Yeah,” she growled. “And what do you know about me?”

“Nothing much,” he said. “But I do know you can be caring. For all your outward hatred you tried your hardest to help me earlier today. You're not a freak Aki, and you're beautiful. It's time you started acting like a human again. People wouldn't hate you if you did. If you stopped pushing people away I think you'd find people you could be friends with.”

Aki jumped a little as if what he had said had severely startled her, and she turned to look at him. Friends? Everyone she'd ever come across had treated her like a freak or run from her. Well, she supposed not everyone. Yusei wasn't scared of her in the least, not even about the stories he'd no doubt heard now about her and her powers. No matter how many times she tried to push him away, she found herself stepped forward again. And if she didn't then he did. He was rather friendly towards her, even if his face was usually an expressionless mask.

“ _I agree with Yusei,_ ” Thorn said quietly to her left. “ _Isn't it time you took off the mask of the Black Rose Witch?_ ”

That made Aki pause and look at Yusei with narrowing eyes. Mask? Yes she supposed they both wore masks. She wore the mask of the witch that had to grow up pushing everyone away to keep herself from being hurt. He wore the mask of the boy who had been forced to grow up in a place she had only ever heard the horrors of. What did he know of her? Probably more than she thought. He understood at least. Maybe he didn't understand her pain, but he understood pain like hers, one that was so painful that you would hide behind a mask to shut it out.

Yusei looked back towards her, pausing a little. For a brief moment, confusion flickered through his eyes before they were expressionless again. Yes, they both wore masks. And she didn't know about him, but she was getting tired of wearing hers. She let out a sigh and then walked over to Yusei. She crossed her arms and looked at him expectantly.

“Well?” she asked, though in a much gentler tone than before. “You're supposed to be the brains. So what do you think we should do?”

“Obviously,” he said as Thorn and Star stepped closer to hear. “We shouldn't go full strength. We need to keep them on their dragons as much as we need to keep ourselves on ours. That way we can get the most points. Aiming at two flying dragons too is going to be difficult, especially with how agile they are in the air, so we should both aim for one of the dragons each.”

“Fine,” Aki agreed. “We're aiming for Kenny then. He's a brat that needs to be shown his place.” Star nodded approvingly to Aki as she eyed the boy.

“ _For once,_ ” Star growled. “ _We agree on something._ ”

“We'll aim for Natalie then,” Yusei nodded. Thorn nodded as well. “Alright then, we'll also have to be careful where we go. We'll need to stay close to each other, that way we can better assess the situation. Whichever dragon is farthest to the left will go left, and whichever is farthest to the right will go right if we have to dodge. If one is higher than the other because we're flying the same way then the highest one will go up and the lowest one will go down. Then we'll reform and fly close to each other again. We should also have one dragon in front of the other. Natalie looks ready to do whatever Kenny tells her too. They'll probably aim at one, and only one of us. We should first let them take a few shots to figure out who they'll be ignoring most. Then when we're sure we'll form up and put the dragon they're not aiming at in front. That way their aim will be off.”

“They can't make as many shots if their target is behind another,” Aki said. “What if they get angry and aim for the one they weren't before?”

“Then we'll trade out who goes in front and move the same as before,” Yusei replied. “We'll keep them guessing and aiming. In the mean time, while the dragons concentrate on this movement, Aki you and I will be watching them. If they get frustrated enough the dragons will sense that and will grow nervous. Their movements will be slowed because of the distraction. If we're patient and wait then we'll win because we'll be free of the distractions. Just wait it out and then blast them when they're more and more agitated. Also, if they do land a shot, they'll be cocky. That's another chance we can take by pretending we can't get a shot on them. Overconfidence can also be their down fall.”

“I got you,” Aki nodded. “And yeah, we probably shouldn't knock them off their dragons. We'll play nice, besides I probably don't need any more bad rep.”

“In that case,” Yusei said with a nod. “We've got a plan.” Then he sighed. “Though working with another dragon makes me kind of nervous. I'm not sure how well I'll be able to fly with Thorn with only one arm.”

The other three on his team also gave his arm a nervous glance. Yes, he was injured. It wouldn't prove that much of a problem, except he'd find it harder to hold on with only one arm, meaning he'd be more easily knocked off. It was definitely not going to help them in this battle. If it had been Star he'd have a much easier time staying balanced. Thorn was going to be much harder. Time was ticking, and they needed a solution fast.

Yusei closed his eyes, wracking his brain for something, anything that could help them in the situation that he could fall, which was probably in reality very likely. He expected that, as nervous as Jack and Blaze would probably be for him in the same situation, they were ready to catch him just in case. But it still didn't help the fact that they would both lose points if he fell.

“ _ **Yusei,**_ ” the Crimson Dragon's voice suddenly rang forth in his mind. He jumped just a little. “ _ **Listen to me. You must gain Aki Izayoi's trust. She is a pitifully broken creature, but she is also**_ _ **one that will help save this world. This will be your first step towards that. Help her Yusei, because you need her as much as she needs you.**_ ”

 _And what am I supposed to do?_ Yusei thought.

“ _ **Accept my aid,**_ ” the Crimson Dragon said.

Before Yusei could ask what he meant his eyes opened and he jumped as information poured through his head. He saw Aki jump in much the same way and noticed Thorn and Star look up suddenly in confusion, having sensed something. Aki met Yusei's eyes, but he didn't have to ask what was wrong. He suddenly felt like he knew...well more. He knew more about Thorn and how he would act (instinctively and not) and also how Aki would as well. He was sure that she knew the same about both him and Star. In fact he was sure that it was true for all of them, Star, Thorn, Aki and him, they all knew about all three of the others suddenly, as if they had known each other for years.

“Yusei what was that?” Aki whispered.

“I think,” he said quietly in reply “it was the Crimson Dragon.”

“What?” Aki gasped in surprise.

“I don't know,” Yusei said as Zane returned. “But we're out of time to plan. I hope you're ready.”

Aki was confused, but thoughts kept pouring through her head about Yusei and Star. It was something she'd experienced (in a similar way) many times before, so she knew they were true. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do about it, but he was right. Their battle was about to begin and she couldn't really dwell on that fact now. They both turned to face Zane as he got Natalie and Kenny's attention. He looked at all four of them.

“Alright,” he said. “You'll be going approximately one thousand feet in the air to minimize damage. Your dragons know how high to go, and their natural magic will keep you safe from the effects of being so high. It will only count to knock someone off or fall if you are completely out of the saving grasp of the dragon even for a moment. You'll go up and begin to circle, and in formation if you made one. When Cyber roars the battle will begin, and he'll roar again to end the battle. Understand? Failure to follow the rules will result in an automatic fail and if injury is caused you'll have more than just me to deal with.”

Zane looked them all over carefully, and the two teams met each other's gazes. Natalie seemed rather shy and quickly looked away when Yusei looked at her. Kenny on the other hand smirked like he had everything all figured out. He was probably nervous of Aki, and thought that Yusei was trying really hard to be cool. As far as he was concerned they could be defeated and he would become more popular for having defeated the school's Black Rose Witch. Aki's eyes narrowed dangerously, making Natalie wince a little and step back behind Kenny, who puffed up his chest and stepped forward as if to protect her. Yusei's face remained indifferent.

“Dragons take your true forms,” Zane said.

Cyber took his true form, which was a massive machine like creature with three heads, blue lines running through his grayish silver metal body, dark blue eyes and really no legs to speak of. It had huge wings and a long tail though. Natalie's Partner became a Curse of Dragon, a large and strangely skeletal dragon with a horn on the back of its head, small wings, and red eyes. Kenny's Partner was a Blizzard Dragon, which had red eyes and two small horns on the top of its skull. Its tail was long, and its body was gray on top and white on the underbelly. It stood on four legs with wings on its front legs.

However there was no doubt that Thorn and Star stole the show. The normal gasps of both awe and fear went up as the huge (over double or even tripple the size of both the Blizzard and Curse of Dragon dragons) rose like dragon appeared. However there were was another gasp in awe of Star as well. She opened her wings in preparation to fly, and stardust seemed to fall from them. Thorn made his way carefully to Yusei and offered his right leg. Yusei couldn't help but eye it a little nervously as Aki jumped up into Star's offered hand. He stepped up onto it though and steadied himself with a hand on his thin leg.

As always, he found himself slightly in awe of the power that dragons had. Even with as thin as the dragon's leg seemed, he could feel its powerful talons flexing beneath him in preparation for the flight, the battle, and ready to catch the boy if he should need it. Natalie was helped onto the back of the Blizzard Dragon, sitting on him like a horse. Then Kenny leaped onto the head of the Curse of Dragon, grabbing the large horn to steady itself. The dragons all began to snarl, already sizing each other up for the fight.

“Take to the skies,” Zane ordered. “But wait for the signal.”

Yusei noticed Aki whisper something to Star, and wondered what it was for a moment. He didn't have to wonder long though as Star shot up into the sky, opening her wings and twirling a bit, making showers of light fall from her wings and the people below let out “oohs” and “aahs” of appreciation. Yusei shook his head a little but felt a smile threatening to tug at the corners of his mouth again. They were showing off. He supposed that Aki and Star weren't that different after all, and they seemed to be getting along fairly well now. Maybe it was because of whatever the Crimson Dragon had done to them, but he was glad to see it. Thorn watched the girls with a slightly perplexed expression. He didn't really seem to know what to make of it either.

Natalie and Kenny didn't seem to want to be shown up by the beautiful dragon now circling above their heads. Or maybe they didn't want to be shown up by Aki. Either way, they quickly took to the skies as well, the much smaller dragons snarling and snapping at Star, who growled but moved away in response to wait for Thorn. Thorn then let out a roar as he opened his wings, warning the other dragons above that he was coming. He was always sure to be polite to people, even if they were fighting against them in a class setting like this. He remained still for a moment more, carefully making sure that Yusei wouldn't fall.

Then his great wings came crashing down. He arched his back and lifted his legs off the ground as he fought to gain altitude. Once he had some his legs straightened again and inch by inch of his enormous tail slid off of the ground to allow him to take flight. Soon he was flying up (still ever so carefully) for Yusei's sake to join the other three dragons. Star moved just slightly to the side to allow his passage up without having their wings knock together. Then Star flew just in front of and slightly above Thorn as they two began to carefully circle.

While Thorn and Star flew in a sort of tight formation, the other two dragons were flying completely separately of each other and they sometimes even snapped once or twice at each other as they were waiting. Dragons could sometimes live in groups called Thunders (since that's the sound a bunch of dragons made while they were flying and Flocks didn't quite sound right) but they were mostly solitary creatures. It took quite a while for them to grow close enough to one another to not try and act violently on sight. Though Dragons could be overprotective, they were the most fond of fighting out of all the creatures in the Spirit Realm. What the dragons from the other team were doing was natural, and that made what Star and Thorn were doing now very surprising.

This was probably one of the topics up for discussion below them, but neither Aki or Yusei were focused on that now. Aki just didn't like Kenny. That was her reason for trying her hardest at the moment (or at least Yusei thought. If he had known that she was doing this for the same reason he basically was he might have acted differently). Yusei knew that he needed her trust, and he wanted to help her. So both had laser like focus right now as they eyed their enemy. Jack below felt a slight chill as he circled and watched in case anyone should fall. They both had such serious expressions. They were an odd team, but also a very well matched one. It was kind of scary how that had worked out. He couldn't help but shudder a little. The roar of the Cyber End Dragon echoed from below.

Natalie called for the Blizzard Dragon to attack, and its breath shot straight at Star. The two larger dragons darted in opposite directions as planned to dodge -Star up and to the right Thorn down and to the left – both humans watching carefully for an opening to attack. They didn't make a counter attack. Soon however the Curse of Dragon also let out an attack at Star, trying to knock Aki off. This attack collided with another breath from the Blizzard Dragon and exploded in the air before ever reaching her. But it was now completely obvious that the two were aiming for Aki.

The dragons again took their position, with Thorn in the front, slightly to the right, and above Star. Yusei was carefully balancing on Thorn's foot and watching the other two dragons. The attacks suddenly stopped, as if the two were wondering how to take out Aki without knocking Yusei off of the dragon. Yusei and Aki continued to watch, silently sizing up their opponents. Seeing a slight opening they aimed for Aki and Star again, only to have the two dragons dodge quickly -this time Thorn up and right and Star down and left- again and leave their attacks spinning off harmlessly.

Carefully the two dragons began to circle back around again. Yusei was eying Natalie on the back of that Blizzard Dragon. It was obvious that she was growing frustrated, and the Blizzard Dragon was beginning to show signs of obvious agitation. He figured that Kenny was doing the same. He wanted to get her to be a little more rash in her attacks before he tried unleashing one of his own though. This was going just as he had thought it was. Thorn could sense this off of him, and he too was watching more carefully. Yusei didn't let himself grow more excited however. He knew that this could throw Thorn off his game since he was highly sensitive to him.

Natalie suddenly pointed at him, and the Blizzard Dragon switched directions and aimed a blast right for Yusei. Thorn pulled up in surprise to dodge the attack and upset Yusei's balance. Yusei didn't panic however, even as he foot slipped. He forced his body to slide forward towards the left side of the dragon's talons. He knew from whatever it was the Crimson Dragon had done that his instinct would be to snap his talon closed on that side to catch him. He slipped forward, much to the horror and gasps from below. However Thorn's talons quickly snapped closed on around Yusei's chest to catch him. Yusei winced a little as it hit his injured arm. Thorn hadn't hurt him any worse than he was, but it still stung.

Thorn roared and opened his jaws, shooting his breath at the Blizzard Dragon. The creature quickly retreated from the dragon's rage as the dark purple breath shot beside him and his charge, dark red petals seeming to float within the breath. Thorn hadn't been aiming for them. It was a warning shot to get them to back off so Yusei could regain his footing. Thorn then held his other talon under Yusei's foot so he could get his balance and released him. Yusei swung himself back up onto Thorn's right foot and balanced with his one good arm. There were cheers from below as the crowd saw this. Yusei nodded to Thorn who growled gently to him.

Yusei turned his eyes back to the battle. Star was doing well to dodge the attacks that were aimed at her, and she seemed to be doing well overall. Natalie and the Blizzard Dragon were watching Yusei and Thorn nervously, seeming to not know what to make of this little group. Thorn seemed so protective of Yusei, and as far as anyone knew, this was the first time they'd ever really been separated from their own partners. The boy's eyes narrowed however as he caught the obvious signs of doubt from them. He looked up at Thorn as he began to snarl at them.

“I think we've kept them waiting long enough,” Yusei said. “Remember, careful not to knock them off. Aim for Natalie and that Blizzard Dragon, and get ready to fire. On my mark.”

It soon became blatantly obvious that Thorn's flight pattern had changed. He whirled around to face the Blizzard Dragon and Natalie, snarling at them. His body language had changed too. He was now ready to fight, and neither Natalie or the dragon she was on looked sure of what to do. Simultaneously Yusei spotted Star whirl around to fight as well. Aki yelled something, but it was soon lost in the wind as a powerful gale began to whip around in the air from Star's wind magic. A beautiful silver breath came from between her teeth and hit the Curse of Dragon and Kenny. It wasn't hard though because the Curse of Dragon soon recovered. They looked stunned.

Natalie was soon distracted by the breath from Star, and that left her wide open. Thorn's wings were beating hard around Yusei as he continued to watch. His long tail was whipping through the air, ready and willing. His patience was obvious though because he was still waiting for Yusei's command, growling softly. Finally Yusei looked up at Thorn.

“NOW,” he called loudly over the wind.

Thorn's teeth parted and the same breath from before smacked into Natalie and the Blizzard Dragon. Again, it wasn't hard, so the Blizzard Dragon quickly recovered without dropping Natalie. However he did drop down a few feet. Yusei could hit them again, but he worried he might cause injury that way. Natalie retaliated with a breath from the Blizzard Dragon, but Thorn nimbly dodged, and Yusei kept his footing even with the hard lurch. Yusei let them rise again until they were about level.

“Hit them again,” he called.

Thorn obliged, letting lose another breath. They dodged this one and retaliated, letting out a breath of their own. Thorn blocked this one by shooting his breath as well, and they collided in the air, sending out tiny shock waves. Yusei managed to keep his footing and looked up again. This was why dragon battles were dangerous. It was one thing here at school where it wasn't all that strange, but something completely different to have to have a real battle with dragons, one where there weren't volunteers ready to catch him if he should fall. With this in mind he waited again for an opening and then yelled for Thorn to let loose another breath.

For a long while it seemed this battle took place, the dragons weaving in and out from between each other and periodically shooting their breath at one another. However, though Natalie and Kenny were growing frustrated and kept missing, Aki and Yusei hardly ever missed and they were working with a flawless teamwork that honestly surprised everyone watching. Just who was that new kid, to be able to get the Black Rose Witch to act like that?

The Cyber End Dragon's roar echoed from far below, and Thorn snapped his jaws closed in response, cutting off the breath that had been filling his throat. Slowly the four dragons all circled down towards the ground. As they sat down Yusei hopped down off of the strong talons of the Black Rose Dragon and turned to look at Zane as he gazed at the boy and Aki thoughtfully.

Of all the things he could have expected about Hakase's son, this certainly wasn't one of them. Even Zane Trusedale, who was usually so good with people, wasn't entirely sure what to make of the boy. The last time that had happened had been with Jaden. For him to be so speechless was odd. He nodded silently to himself. The dragons returned to their normal forms (though Cyber remained in his dragon form) and quickly returned to their own partners. Zane then raised his hand and the conversations around the classroom ended abruptly.

“The winners are Aki Izayoi and Yusei Fudo,” he called, to the somewhat nervous cheering of the crowd. He turned to the group. “You may leave class now, or stay if you want. Volunteers, we'll be changing out now.”

Aki let out a sigh she hadn't known she had been holding in. She looked up at Yusei, who was again wearing that mask that no one could quite make out through his eyes. She looked up and waved Rogue over, motioning to him and then to herself. Soon the girl had joined them as the next group was preparing to enter the stadium. Jack and Blaze also quickly ran up, and so too did his strange friends. Aki gave them a glare but then shrugged.

“Well come on if you're all going to,” she said. “Let's get out of here.”

Aki turned to make her way out of the classroom, and Thorn gave Yusei a wink before following her out. Rogue and Sloth quickly followed, however Jack, Blaze, and his strange two friends stared at Yusei and Star like they had come from another planet entirely. Yusei felt a small smile appear on his face as they stared.

“How the hell did you do that?” Jack gasped.

“Not entirely sure,” Yusei replied truthfully enough. Best to keep the secrets that he and Aki shared between each other for now.”But she seems much more friendly now. Coming?”

Yusei began walking out of the room after Aki and Rogue, Star giggling and following closely behind. With some obvious confusion the rest of the group followed as well. Zane didn't miss this and gave them all a quizzical look as they left. What an odd group. Still, he supposed he wasn't that surprised. Yusei truly was a very remarkable young man. He'd have to be sure to tell the boy's father that when he saw him later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There. Finally done with this chapter. I don't know why it took me so long to get this one done and updated. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed. Feel free to leave a review below.


	16. Monochrome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ere we go with Chapter 16! The next few chapters are pretty much going to be Yusei settling into school and making new friends with everyone at school, then I'm going to have to find a way to throw Crow into the story too. That'll be fun.   
> That last update took way too long. This one came much faster. Sorry but I am working on Psychic Reverse as well. That one is taking even longer than this one so I hope you guys aren't too mad at me.

Aki seemed less on edge than before, and Yusei could easily see that as he glanced at her. He had always been rather good with reading people, but he was pretty sure that even Jack (who was pretty much his polar opposite in that regard) could see that. The group made its way silently out into one of the large parks that wasn't too far away. Aki leaped up onto a rock and sat down. Rogue quickly followed her and looked like she was trying to hide behind Aki, still saying nothing. Yusei didn't think he'd heard her speak yet. Sloth just flopped down on the grass and proceeded to go to sleep. Thorn sat beside Aki and lounged back.

Yusei just kind of paused and tilted his head to the side slightly. It was probably the most quizzical look any of them had ever seen on his face (except perhaps Jack). Star just smiled and stood beside him, clasping her hands behind her back and purring quietly. Jack and Blaze just stood awkwardly to the side and Jack's two strange friends looked even more awkward. Aki silently looked over everyone gathered there. She turned her nose away quickly, but even that seemed a little bit more...mellow than before.

“Well I promised I'd show Yusei around class,” Aki sighed. “So I suppose you guys can hang around too. We have about an hour before the next class starts anyway. That would be 'Summoning From the Spirit Realm' with Professor Anderson.”

Again there was silence. Jack just didn't seem to know what to do at this moment. He settled for turning instead to Yusei. He noticed nearly instantly that his sling was torn slightly. He remembered suddenly that Yusei had nearly fallen, only to force himself to fall another way so he was caught by Thorn. His eyes narrowed worriedly as he looked at the young man he thought of as his brother. How had he managed to do that? But more importantly, was he hurt?

“Yusei what happened to your arm?” Jack asked, knowing the answer but wanting to prompt him. Yusei looked down, not seeming to realize that anything was wrong. Seeing the tear he shrugged.

“It must have been when I slipped,” he said. “I guess Thorn's talon tore it when he grabbed me.”

“Yeah,” Jack said. “Except you were falling the other way. What possessed you to force yourself to fall that way?”

“As a matter of fact,” Jack's dark skinned friend said in a deep voice. “Aki nearly fell too and jumped so that (Star was it?) Star would catch her. How on earth did you know she'd try and catch you that way?”

Yusei and Aki both paused and seemed unsure how to answer. Thorn and Star glanced at one another, blinking a little in surprise. They supposed it did look kind of suspicious. Everyone else also paused in surprise, not sure what to make of the odd pause, making even Sloth raise his head with a perplexed face. Finally Rogue looked at Aki.

“You seem rather,” she said in a pretty voice, pausing a little to find the right words. “at ease with him, for only meeting him yesterday.” Jack's eyes narrowed and he looked at Yusei, crossing his arms.

“Alright,” he growled. “What's going on? Even if I'm not as good at reading people as you are Yusei, I can see there's something happening. What aren't you two telling? Even better, how did you two end up keeping secrets anyway?”

Still they remained silent. What were they supposed to tell them? That suddenly they understood each other like they'd known each other for years? They'd sound crazy, or people might jump to the conclusion that they were dating. Yusei was pretty sure Aki might kill him for that one. They both awkwardly looked away. Jack let out an agitated growl and moved to step forward. Suddenly though he gave a startled yelp and looked down at his forearm.

Yusei glanced over in time to see a mark on Jack's arm, glowing crimson bright enough to be seen clearly through his clothing. It was the wings of the dragon. Aki also let out a yelp and he looked up to see her own mark, the back claw of the dragon. Then he suddenly saw the Crimson Dragon's eyes flash in his mind, and searing pain shot through his arm. He gasped loudly and looked down. He quickly removed his arm from the sling and pulled the sleeve of his uniform up. He tore the bandages off to get a clearer look at it and then stared down at the painfully bright dragon's head.

“W-What is-?” Rogue managed to squeak out in surprise.

Yusei looked up. Jack and Aki looked as startled as he was, and Yusei was even so absolutely surprised that it was clearly showing on his face. Aki and Jack both looked a little scared, but Yusei wasn't. He understood that, as the Crimson Dragon had said, the marks were calling to each other, and if he thought right, it was made only stronger by the fact that Yusei had been officially accepted as a Signer as well as the leader of the Signers.

Everyone was silent suddenly, trying to figure out what was going on. No one really had any explanation, and Yusei felt he'd just sound insane if he tried to explain what he knew. However as he was wondering what he was going to say, if anything at all, he felt another pang. This one was sharper and from his back instead of from his arm. He yelped and shuddered involuntarily. The Duel Spirit Partner of Jack's darker skinned friend's eyes narrowed and she turned Yusei quickly so their back was facing them, gently but firmly.

Everyone else let out yet another gasp of confusion. Yusei paused and looked over his shoulder. Though he couldn't see his own back, he could clearly see a bright red glow. He had no doubt that this strange mark was also clearly visible through his clothing. Aki leaped down suddenly and held her arm close to Yusei's back. Jack did the same, both blinking in surprise.

“Doesn't that look like-” Rogue began as she stood and made her way over.

“The relief on the floor of the Dragon's Hollow,” Jack's strange friend finished.

“The marks on our arms match it,” Jack pointed out. “Even Yusei's.”

“What is this thing?” Aki asked in utter confusion. Yusei could hear a little fear in her voice.

The darker skinned teen's eyes narrowed as he looked at it for a long moment. Yusei finally turned to face everyone else again, suddenly wondering if the marks were going to continue glowing like that. Star didn't seem to like it, and apparently neither did Blaze or Thorn, who looked about ready to start snarling any minute. Finally, the young man spoke.

“They're obviously magic marks of some kind,” he said. “I study them here. They're even stranger than the mark on Yusei and Star's faces, and far more powerful. I've never seen any glow like this before. And they're all placed in the same place, as well as match design. Do any of you know who cast it on you?”

“It just appeared one day,” Jack replied.

“Mine did too,” Aki said.

“Same,” was Yusei's simple response. This only seemed to confuse him a little more.

“I can tell it was cast with powerful magic,” he said. “It remains undetected, however apparently they react to being within the presence of one another. And why is this of a dragon? I don't understand...”

Yusei couldn't blame him for being confused. He knew that he was, and he had some idea of what was actually going on. The marks suddenly faded as soon as they had appeared, appearing to be nothing more than strange tattoos on their arms now. The young man blinked as he looked at them. He shook his head, frowning in confusion.

“Leon,” Jack said to the boy. “Do you have any idea what this is?” The dark skinned boy, obviously Leon, shook his head.

“No,” he replied. “Though I probably wouldn't have noticed how similar they were without Seer spinning Yusei around like that. Then again she is called an All Seeing White Tiger for a reason. That's another thing. Why does Yusei have two marks while you both only have one?”

No one seemed sure how to answer him, if at all. Yusei silently slid his arm back into the sling, hoping it didn't start glowing randomly in class one day. He doubted it would be easy to gloss over with Leon and the people here, let alone trying to just explain it away with a teacher around. Again Leon shook his head, seeming to not be satisfied but unsure how to get answers.

“They're certainly powerful marks,” he said. “Other than that I can't tell you much. I didn't think that relief had any meaning, but supposedly they did find it in Peru. I suppose it was meant to have some meaning.”

“There was that really weird feeling last night,” Jack said thoughtfully. “It was like something big had happened, and I suddenly woke up.”

“You felt that too?” Leon asked.

“I think everyone did,” Yusei replied quietly. They didn't question him.

“Maybe it has something to do with that?” Jack asked. Leon sighed.

“First that weird feeling,” he said. “Then Aki, Star, Thorn and Yusei are acting like they've known each other their entire lives, and now these strange marks. Magical marks that glow strongly enough to be seen through several layers of fabric mind you. There is something really weird going on today. But I don't know what.”

Yusei wasn't sure what to tell them, and Star refused to speak. Hardly anyone knew what was going on, and Yusei knew more than most. But it was still odd. Even with Aki knew of the Crimson Dragon and his involvement, didn't know enough to make much sense of the situation. Yusei didn't look too freaked out about it, but he always did wear that unshakable mask of indifference. It passed as his normal face and people didn't seem to question it.

Slowly they all seemed to wake up from whatever strange dreams had gripped their waking thoughts. They looked at one another, and Jack and Aki both quickly hid their arms. Seer turned and looked up at her Partner, her eyes narrowing only slightly. Leon turned and looked down at her quickly, then frowned as he turned to the other three.

“Seer thinks we should tell one of the teachers,” Leon said. “It's probably smart. Who knows who put these here and what they're supposed to do?”

Yusei thought about it a moment. Wouldn't it be smart to do that? They didn't have any help at the moment, and one of the teachers here was bound to understand why they were so dangerous. He knew it was supposed to keep it a secret, but their silent enemy couldn't just find out about them like that, could they? Suddenly though he felt his arm give another pang. This one was smaller, much gentler. It was a warning though, a warning that made him instantly completely against the idea, even if he didn't know why. It was like he instinctively reacted to this, and wanted nothing to do with that plan. It needed to remain secret. Apparently, Jack and Aki had the same feeling.

“No,” Jack said suddenly, reaching for his forearm without thinking about it. “We can't tell anyone!”

“Jack this could be dangerous,” Leon reasoned. “We need help!”

“I won't let you tell anyone,” Jack growled, an almost scared and protective sound. There was something in his voice that made all the Duel Spirits react. It wasn't a threatening sound, but it was one that made them pause.

“You two have to promise,” Aki said, looking at Rogue and Leon. “to not tell anyone.”

“Aki think about this,” Rogue said. “We don't know what could happen...”

“You have to promise,” Aki growled in much the same way Jack had. It surprised everyone but the three young Signers.

Leon and Rogue looked a little confused and frustrated with the whole situation. Both were the kind of person to keep their promises and not tell anyone if that's what their friends wanted. But they were completely surprised that Jack and Aki were agreeing with each other, and they seemed extremely adamant that no one be told about this. Leon at last turned to appeal to Yusei. If anyone could convince these two to listen to reason, it was him. But he and Rogue both paused to see Yusei's face. His mask had fallen for the moment, and he was obviously deeply conflicted about it.

“Yusei please,” Rogue said, nearly begging. “You have to tell them how foolish they're being. We need to figure out what's going on.”

Yusei truly was struggling against himself to answer her. The rational part of his mind told him that he should tell someone, even if it was only Yugi. He'd know what to do. He'd fought in his own strange war before and he had seen it before. He'd be worried to know what had happened. Though Yusei knew more than anyone else, he still felt hopelessly in the dark. If each Sign and each Dragon meant something else, then what was all of their purposes in this war? He hated to drag his friends into something without knowing what they were getting themselves into.

But the Crimson Dragon wanted to remain hidden. Who was he to argue with a god? Besides his friends didn't want him to tell. Then again, this felt like fate, and Yusei hated to think that his life was planned out for him. If there was one fault he had, it was that he hated to think he had no choice. He would rather think and plan everything out so he and his friends could get out safely. Then again, maybe that was why the Crimson Dragon had chosen him to lead the Signers.

Yusei frowned a little, silent still. The silence stretched into several long minutes as he fought against himself. Even Aki and Jack had turned to look at him now, both surprised. Yusei was one to know what he thought about something and not shy away from speaking what he thought about it. At last though Yusei accepted that he just wasn't going to be able to fight against the instinct he was feeling. The god had a reason for wanting to keep them all a secret for now, and he'd just have to trust it.

“No,” he finally said, though still hesitantly. “We can't. I can't explain why but we can't. Rogue, Leon, you have to promise to not tell anyone. You too, Sloth and Seer. No one can know. Do you understand?”

“But why?” Rogue asked, her brows knitting together over those blood red eyes. Yusei's lips formed a thin white line. He obviously wasn't going to say more. She sighed. “Fine. I won't say anything.” Sloth nodded as well, looking a little confused.

“Alright I won't say anything either,” Leon said, raising an eyebrow at Yusei. “It seems like it's really difficult for you three. But that doesn't mean that I still can't look into it. There's no way I could sleep at night if I couldn't make sure you were all safe.” then he glanced at Aki and added. “Even if you don't think you are my friend.” Seer paused a moment, but finally nodded too.

Aki said nothing and Jack looked satisfied for now. Yusei however still had a rather conflicted and confused look on his face. The three dragons didn't seem to know what to do with their partners at the moment, and just looked extremely confused. They weren't entirely sure what was going on, but all three of them knew that their partners wouldn't usually just ignore logic seemingly completely like that. It was largely out of character, especially for Yusei.

Jack turned suddenly and began walking away. Blaze quickly followed, turning suddenly to his dragon form and picking Jack up. With a powerful down stroke the dragon was in the air and they were gone. Yusei understood why. It was a rather awkward and confusing situation for all of them. Suddenly Aki leaped up and grabbed both her bag and Yusei's then proceeded to walk straight over to him.

“Come on,” she said. “We should really get going. We'll need to get to class.”

“Thirty minutes early?” Rogue asked in surprise.

“Yusei needs to re-bandage his arm doesn't he?” Aki snapped.

Rogue looked taken aback, but Aki didn't apologize. They could all clearly see that she was really wound up about something. And Yusei couldn't deny that he wasn't glad for some excuse to leave quickly. He nodded and looked over at Star, who just gave him a confused look but turned into her dragon form and lowered her hand for him. He stepped up into and spotted Aki leaping up onto Thorn's talons again. Soon both dragons were in the air and flying quickly back towards Dragon's Hollow. Star was silent and worrying the whole time.

Thorn touched down on the balconies outside of the Dragon's Hollow outside of Yusei and Aki's rooms, and Star soon touched down next to him. The two dragons let their partners down to the ground and returned to their human forms, following the two into Yusei's room, where he went silently to grab a few more bandages. When he returned to them Star grabbed them and pulled Yusei's arm out of the sling, beginning to wind them around his arm gently. The silence remained for a long time.

With his arm bandaged again and back into the sling Yusei chanced to look up again. He found Aki sitting in the chair at his desk and glaring across at him. Her arms and legs were crossed, and he could tell that she wasn't in a good mood. He sighed and sat down on the bed to face her. He knew she wasn't going to just listen to him so he needed to let her talk. Since the Crimson Dragon had made them able to read one another so easily it was obvious to both of them what was about to happen.

Aki's eyes only seemed to darken as she continued to stare at Yusei, obviously waiting for him to make a move. He didn't, so she let out a low growl which seemed to set both Thorn and Star on edge. They weren't too sure what to make of the whole situation.

“You know more than you're letting on,” she said. “You know way more. Why weren't you as scared as Jack and I were? What does the Crimson Dragon have to do with all of this, and why us?”

“I'm sorry Aki,” Yusei replied. “But I don't have all the answers.”

“How the hell do you think I'm supposed to just believe that?” Aki asked. “After you've already been hiding things from me.” She let out a growl. “I knew it. You're just like everyone else.”

“I promise that I don't know much more,” Yusei replied. “At all. I'm just as confused as you are.”

“Yeah right,” she hissed. “You've just been lying to me. You're not truthful and you just want to be around me because you think I'm a freak, some sort of novelty friend. I should have trusted Rogue when she said to stay away-”

“Aki,”

“NO,” she snarled. “I won't listen. You and everyone else just hate me. All I am is a freak to you. That's why I joined the Arcadia Movement in the first place. Even if it was a horrible crime organization at least everyone there knew the same pain. I can't believe I thought you'd be able to understand me because you were from the Satellite-”

“Aki,”

“Shut up,” she continued, tears pouring down her face in her fury. She turned instead to trying to offend him. “You're just like my father. You're scared of me like everyone else, and you don't care. What about your parents? They're dead aren't they? Well good! It's your father's fault we're all in this mess anyway. How the hell raised you? They did a horrible job. You're just selfish and cruel. You should have stayed

in the Satellite with the rest of the trash-”

Star leaped up, letting out an indignant roar that shook the room. Yusei quickly held up his uninjured arm to hold her back and she continued to snarl in defense of her partner. Thorn on the other hand quickly leaped up and grabbed Aki as she rose to her feet. He was looking nervously at Star, but he didn't want her to do something stupid either.

“MOVE OUT OF MY WAY,” she roared at him.

“Aki,”

“YOU SHUT UP,” she screamed. “You just think I'm a freak. Just because I'm a psychic. Don't pretend you don't. I've read enough people's minds to know what you people think-”

“AKI,” Yusei yelled.

“WHAT?”

“I don't think that,” he said. “I'm not trying to keep secrets, and I will prove that to you.” Aki finally seemed to pause, and crossed her arms.

“How?”

“Read my mind,”

Aki's jaw fell open, Star's growling stopped abruptly, and Thorn deadpanned. Psychics were generally very feared, and it obviously didn't happen often that people were just willing to let a Psychic anywhere near them, let alone let one use their powers on them. Yusei couldn't help but remember what it was like to be under the control of a Psychic, but he wanted Aki to trust him. More than needing her trust because of their shared destiny, he wanted to help her. She just seemed so broken. Aki seemed to recover from her shock and crossed her arms again, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Uh huh,” she said. “Good joke. Tell another.”

“I'm serious,”

“But why?” she gasped. “Aren't you afraid of me?”

“No,” he replied. “I'm not. Aki I don't think you're a freak. You're a beautiful person and you're strong. There are a lot of good qualities in you and I don't just look on the surface. I see more than the mask of the Black Rose Witch, I see a scared and abused girl.”

“But everyone hates me,” she said. “Everyone thinks I'm a freak.”

“And everyone hates me because of my last name, though I was an infant,” Yusei replied. She paused. “Do you really think I haven't heard the whispers?”

Aki's hands dropped limply to her sides as her large brown eyes stared into his own. Thorn didn't release her however, and Star seemed unsure what to do in this situation. Yusei however didn't wince away from her gaze and didn't take back what he had said. He was the most infuriating person she'd ever met. Yet also the most endearing. She looked away, unable to hold his gaze.

“You don't understand what it's like,” she said. “to be alone.”

“Don't I?” Yusei asked. “I grew up in the Satellite, raised by a woman with three other children my age because all of our parents had died in a disaster that we didn't just hear about, but saw the effects of everyday. I grew up in the Satellite when it was still a hell hole, where crime was fair game and the police were brutal because they couldn't keep control.” Aki opened her mouth to speak but Yusei continued.

“I grew up in a world where you could only trust the people you'd known your entire life,” he said. “and EVEN THEN I was betrayed by one of the men I had come to trust. I grew up hated even in the Satellite because of my name, because of the parents I had never met, never having enough money or clothing or food which you people take for granted everyday. I was only ever accepted when I carved a name out for myself, the name I chose. I wasn't just the kid of the guy everyone blamed the Zero Reverse on. I was Yusei Fudo of Team Satisfaction who helped make the Satellite into a livable place.”

“Yusei I-”

“My friends all moved on with our lives and I was left behind,” he continued, ignoring her as she hadu before. “I was left alone. I know how to be alone.” She grew angry.

“I don't need your life story,” she snapped. Yusei gave her a glare that made her mouth close before she could continue with her retort.

“My point IS,” he said. “that I do know, much better, than what you think I do. I doubt very much, even with everything that happened to you, that you could even comprehend the struggles I have been through. You continue to see the world in black and white, and there is no gray. In fact the entire world apparently falls in the black. But there are big differences between you and I.”

“And what is that?” Aki snarled.

“For one,” Yusei replied. “I don't use my pain as an excuse.”

“HOW DARE-”

“For another,” he continued. “I'm not a coward.”

“A COWARD?”

“Yes Aki,” Yusei snapped, finally losing his temper. “A coward. Prove that you aren't! You hide behind that mask and push people away. You lose your temper and won't listen to what anyone else has to say. You joined the Arcadia Movement because you couldn't accept that you were different. You had to be told that you were special. You listened to the frightened whispers instead of ignoring them and growing stronger. You hide behind your pain and then snap at me when I have done nothing wrong. I've told you what I can, and you still ignore me. You're even friends with Rogue because you need to feel strong, and having a person around you weaker than you makes you feel that way.”

At the mention of Rogue, several things happened at once. Aki stood and punched Yusei, making him yelp in pain. Star stood and roared, grabbing Aki and throwing her hard, startling the girl. Thorn grabbed Aki to protect her from the bone shattering impact of slamming into the wall. Star had thrown her hard enough to crack the wall. Thorn was injured now but Aki was unharmed. Aki was absolutely startled. She had just hit him, it's not like she had tried to kill him. But Star had just tried to kill the girl. For that?

Thorn didn't leap up to attack or defend Aki, he started making soft whining noises. He was also begging Star to forgive the girl or at least let her leave. Star was standing there snarling loudly, bearing her teeth even in her human form. Aki looked up and couldn't help but be terrified at the sight. She knew for a fact that she was about to attack, and she was only just holding the impulse in check. Aki couldn't see Yusei past her, but she was surprised suddenly to hear that Yusei was letting out soft whimpers.

Star finally seemed to be more interested in her partner's obvious pain. She turned to him and began to move his arm, checking something. Aki stared wide eyed as Thorn carefully stood and pulled Aki to her feet, trying to quickly usher her out of the door before Star changed her mind about letting the girl leave. Aki glanced over at Yusei and finally saw what the fuss was about.

Star had pulled off Yusei's shirt to look at his arm, where a large gash was now across his injured arm. Apparently she had been so angry she had lost control of her Psychic powers for a split second and attacked him with it. However it was the scars she saw that made her cringe. Her eyes opened wide in horror as she saw where the fresh wound was.

It was across part of his chest, which had obviously been shredded. The claw marks were huge, and it stretched across most of his chest, down his ribcage, and over onto his right shoulder, almost reaching the elbow. The wounds had been stitched back together and had been healing nicely. They were jagged however and she knew where those had come from. They looked extremely painful. And she had just laid another wound right on top of it.

It was obvious how much that hurt. He was bent over double involuntarily, held up only because Star was pulling him up so she could look at his wounds. His face was contorted in agony and his eyes were screwed shut. It was the second time she'd seen him like that today. But this time it was her fault. She felt both horrified and guilty.

“I-I'm sorry,” she gasped. “I didn't mean to, I swear! I-I-I-”

Star turned and snarled again at Aki, telling her clearly that she was not welcome here and Star was willing to kill her if she came anywhere near Yusei again. Aki felt tears spilling down her face. When had she become so careless as to lose control like that? She turned and ran out of the room, running instantly to her own and slamming the door closed. Thorn had to enter through the other door to get inside, because she collapsed in front of it and began to cry. Even with as thick as the walls were she felt like she was still far too close. Thorn just watched her silently.

“They're right,” she sobbed. “I'm a monster. How could I just hurt someone like that? I thought I had it under control, but I've only managed to hurt him. And those scars-!”

“ _Aki,_ ” Thorn said. His voice sounded disappointed, even a little angry.

“He's right,” she continued. “I'm a coward. I hide behind a mask. I only see the world in black and white. I'm a monster. He was right about everything!”

Aki just remained curled up in a ball and continued to cry. Thorn didn't try and move her or comfort her. He was just very disappointed. Maybe he shouldn't have made her angry, but she shouldn't have acted so childishly and made him angry in the first place. She should have listened to him and stopped worrying only about herself. Slowly though she fell silent and curled up into a ball.

“I don't feel good,” she said. “I'm not going to class today.”

Thorn didn't argue with her.

* * *

 

“ _If I see that girl again she's dead,_ ” Star growled in the next room, putting pressure on the wound so it would not bleed as much. “ _And here I thought that she wasn't all that bad._ ”

“I-It's not her fault,” Yusei gasped in pain. “I shouldn't have antagonized her like that. I feel like an idiot. I was trying to help and I let my emotions get the better of me. You can't hate her for that. Her heart's been broken and she doesn't know who to trust. We should just leave her alone and let her work it out in her own head for a while.”

Star obviously didn't agree, but she was far more worried for her partner's welfare than a girl at the moment. She needed to take him to the hospital wing, but she didn't have any idea where that was, or how to get there. Did they even have one on campus? However a knock came at the door. She snarled and walked to it, pulling it open and letting out a savage growl.

It was returned. Star found herself face to face with Glisten, who was glaring back. Star on the other hand didn't back down from the older dragon and continued to snarl. Jesse pushed his way past Glisten, blinking at Star with some confusion and concern. What was making her growl like that? He glanced inside and saw Yusei's condition and that Star's hand was covered in blood. He knew for a fact that Star would not have attacked her own partner, so he was very concerned.

“Yusei,” he gasped.

Star eyed him a minute, then finally stepped past so the professor could come inside. He immediately rushed to Yusei's side, his eyes widening at the sight of the scars and the fresh wound. Glisten followed her partner inside, snarling still at Star as she did so. Star ignored her though and returned to her partner's side worriedly.

“What happened?” Professor Anderson demanded.

“I was being stupid again,” Yusei replied. “and challenged something I shouldn't have been fighting.”

Jesse frowned at the fact that Yusei apparently was completely refusing to give him a straightforward answer. Yusei felt a need to hide it from him though and there was no convincing the boy that he could tell him. Especially if he was anything like his parents. He had other things to worry about now. This boy needed medical attention immediately.

“I'll take you to the medical wing,” he said. “You need help. This is much too serious to ignore, and more important than my lesson. I'll just have to show up late to class.”

With that, he quickly hauled Yusei to his feet and went outside so the two dragons could take off. He had originally decided to swing by to see how Yusei was doing, make some casual chat with him, and try to get to know him better. He had decided that he needed to know more about him to help keep the boy safe. He was glad he had though. The boy needed help. He could barely stand. But he had found something else out about Yusei Fudo.

He was loyal, definitely to a fault. Something had obviously happened, but he wasn't telling what. Even though it was painful he wasn't saying a word about it. He was keeping this secret whatever it was. And Jesse found himself both annoyed and impressed.

 _Damn it,_ he thought. _Why do you have to be so much like your mother now of all times?_

There was no answer, but no time to worry about it. He hauled Yusei up onto Glisten's head as she transformed, taking to the skies quickly. Star was soon following close to the side of the Rainbow Dragon, watching her partner with great concern.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you guys think of that chapter? Yusei and Aki are already fighting like an old married couple. However I thought it was about time that Yusei's mask fell, as well as Aki's. After this they're going to become much closer, though it'll take a while to get there.   
> Yusei needed to lose his cool for once, if only to prove he was human. And even though he's hurt he still is protecting Aki. Aki on the other hand finally needed to get it through her thick skull that other people suffered too. As painful as it is, this experience was necessary for both of them. It'll help them grow.   
> Anyway I hope you enjoyed. Feel free to leave a review below.


	17. A Gentle Soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here comes chapter seventeen! Thanks so much for all of your support guys! This means so much to me that you guys enjoy my story enough to make sure that you're here for the updates, even if they do take forever!  
> So thanks so much for all of your support. I'm working on bringing Crow into the story as well, slowly but surely. We probably won't see him until he actually shows up in the city, but I'm not sure entirely what I'm going to have happen for the circumstances surrounding that. Anyway I hope you enjoy as Yusei's crazy first day of class continues.   
> Feel free to leave a review below!

Jesse Anderson didn't know what he was going to do with Yusei Fudo. He wasn't exactly what he had expected from the son of two of his best friends from his own days here at Duel Academy. But he could certainly see similarities, even past his obvious resemblance of the two. He was blindly loyal like Yoko had been, and he was also silently calculating like Hakase could be. Yet there was something there that both confused Jesse down to his core and made him know that his parents would be proud of him beyond belief.

He was compassionate. It was such a beautiful need to help and shield others. Jesse doubted he'd gotten these wounds on accident, but he knew that Yusei wasn't going to tell him what had happened and he doubted Star would either. He couldn't help but be surprised at it a little though. Since he had lived in the Satellite, you would think that he would be full of anger and spite. Yet even through all of that he retained a gentle soul. It gave him some slight hope that humans were still going to be able to recover from the darkened world they had created.

He knew though that for now he had to get Yusei some help. He seemed to have recovered a little now, but Jesse wasn't about to even so much as release him. He wasn't letting the boy out of his sight. Apparently he had a talent for getting into trouble, even here, in the middle of duel academy! Then again, Jaden had managed to do the same. Even though it was much safer than letting the boy wander alone somewhere else, it was strange to see that he could get so hurt here. He couldn't help but worry if it had been one of Roman's henchmen. Would the boy even know to be scared of them? He didn't think Yusei was dumb enough to get himself hurt like this without some reason. If it was Roman though, there was a strong possibility that something far more was going on here than what they were actually seeing on the surface.

They were nearing the Medical Wing now. So called because it was a large building, not unlike the hospital in the middle of town and fully staffed like one, with a statue of a bird like wing on top. Jesse didn't have time to worry about the strange architecture of the building though. Glisten soon landed with Star close behind, growling worriedly. Glisten seemed to have forgiven the younger dragon for growling at her earlier now that she understood the situation, and she didn't hold it against her either when the younger dragon snapped at her once.

“ _She cares deeply for her partner,_ ” Glisten said, some reluctant admiration in her voice. Jesse was a little surprised, knowing how hard it was for Glisten to praise anyone. She was rather prideful. “ _She's a fine young dragon._ ”

Jesse agreed, but he didn't really have time to do so now. He helped Yusei down and insisted on walking him into the building, though the boy had seemed to have recovered nicely on the trip over and was now walking fine by himself. He was also wearing the same emotionless mask that he had always worn. Upon entering, the two were greeted by a young nurse. The two dragons, now in their human forms, hurried inside after them.

“Hello Professor Anderson,” she said, then paused upon seeing the blood on Yusei's shirt. “Oh my, what happened?”

“I need an older nurse to look at Yusei here,” Jesse told her pointedly.

“O-Oh course,” she replied. “Come with me. I'll take you right to a room. Please follow me.”

The young woman took them to an elevator, which was packed full of students getting on and off as well as their duel spirit partners. However they managed to find an empty one and get in, which was probably good considering Jesse didn't want anyone bumping Yusei's shoulder and possibly making it worse again. They rode the elevator up several floors until finally the nurse led them to an empty room. Jesse had Yusei sit on the bed and crossed his arms, turning to face him and raising an eyebrow at him. Yusei got the almost comical impression that the man had picked up the habit from Yubel somehow along the way.

“Are you going to tell me how you got that wound?” he asked.

“Would it offend you for me to say I'd rather not?” the boy countered. Jesse sighed.

“You really are stubborn,” he said. “aren't you?”

“You'll learn in a sense what happened soon,” Yusei replied. “I know how skilled the doctors here are. But you'll have to forgive me. I won't say how.”

Star pursed her lips at this but didn't say anything either. Jesse however found himself almost entranced by Yusei's eyes. They were the same look he'd seen Yoko give him a thousand times, those eyes that told him that he needed to back off because he wasn't going to say anything. They were the eyes of someone who could keep a secret to their dying breath. They were also the eyes of someone who was willing to do anything if it would keep others safe. He couldn't make out any other emotions beyond that though, because the rest of his face was locked behind some sort of mask.

“ _He certainly is her child,_ ” Glisten said thoughtfully. “ _I doubt even if you tried to force him that he'd tell you. Even Yami couldn't get him to talk now._ ”

However their conversation was soon cut short as an older woman hurried into the room and began to pull off Yusei's shirt. She paused only a moment as she saw the scars then told Yusei to lean back in the chair as she began to examine the wounds. For a long while there was silence as the old nurse continued to check the boy over, completely unafraid of the agitated female dragon who growled whenever Yusei winced. Finally she turned to Jesse with a raised eyebrow.

“This is Psychic Damage,” she said. “It's not too bad. He should heal quickly, and without stitches, but he'll need to leave his arm in the sling longer and we'll have to add some more medication.”

Jesse nodded but stepped out into the hall as the woman began casting healing spells over the wounds. Glisten joined him, glancing back to make sure that Star wouldn't listen in as Jesse pulled out his cell phone. He quickly dialed a number and frowned to himself as he waited while the phone rang. Psychic damage? But why? And from where? He was more alert than ever now, but he needed to confirm his suspicions.

“Hello?” Jaden's surprised voice came across the line. “Jesse? Why are you calling me now? Don't you have class in a few minutes?”

“I do but this can't wait,” Jesse replied, cutting off any farther questions from his confused friend. “Listen, Yusei's gotten hurt. Apparently some sort of Psychic attack.”

Jesse paused for Jaden's response and then realized how odd that really was. He was paused for Jaden, who was usually never NOT talking. That certainly wasn't normal. The silence in itself made him very nervous. Was what that supposed to mean? Jaden's response didn't make him feel any better and only made him bristle.

“He was attacked by a Psychic again?” Jaden gasped.

“Again?” Jesse asked. “This has happened before?”

“Yeah,” Jaden said with a slight growl that made Jesse a little nervous. “A girl came around and tried to possess Yusei, only Yubel was faster. It was a good thing that Yusei knew Yubel was there and wasn't going to hurt him, or things could have gotten way worse. Apparently the girl wanted to take Yusei to her 'big brother', and she wasn't going to let him get away from her without a fight.” Jesse blinked a little in surprise.

“Yusei knows about Yubel?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Jaden replied. “He can see both her and Yami, and has apparently had conversations with them both at the same time. He's definitely very perceptive. Is he hurt bad?”

“No,” Jesse replied, glancing back. “Everything seems to be alright. He'll probably be alright to go to class in a few minutes too. I suppose it's good that he is so perceptive. It probably saved him a lot of damage. I'm not entirely sure what happened though. He won't tell me.”

“Something probably happened that he doesn't want to reveal,” Jaden said, and Jesse could imagine him shrugging. “Maybe someone else would get in trouble for something that happened. Even if he was attacked by some unknown force, he isn't one to betray his friends.”

“He certainly is Yoko's child then,” Jesse sighed, though he'd already expected as much.

“He really is,” Jaden said. “Listen I've got to tell Yugi about this. Just keep an eye on him for us alright? He has a tendency to get in trouble.”

“I will,” Jesse replied.

The call ended and the professor put his phone back into his pocket quickly, glancing over at Yusei. There was definitely something strange going on, though he didn't exactly have any clue as to what. However as his eyes fell on his right forearm Jesse Anderson froze, feeling an icy breath passing through his lungs. What he saw made his eyes widen in confusion. He was seeing Yusei's Dragon Mark, shaped like the dragon's head. The problem was that he had seen it once before on Roman's right arm.

When Roman had borne this mark he had been kind and gentle. It wasn't until the purple mark, the mark of the spider, had appeared that he had suddenly become cruel and far too powerful. The fact that Yusei had the exact same mark was honestly quite frightening. What on earth did those marks really mean? He'd seen one of the purple ones glow, but it had been a fully body picture of a creature. The dragon mark was only part of it. However he didn't need to be as versed in magic as he was to know that this was something far bigger than he had originally thought.

Jesse's eyes narrowed slightly. Roman had cut off his right arm when the purple mark had appeared on his left, as if the red mark had caused him some sort of pain when the purple mark was present. Though Yusei's mark wasn't glowing he got the feeling that it was a magical mark, and a very powerful one at that. And the fact that it had appearently been transferred to another person was strange too. It was as if something else was controlling that mark and giving it to others. What on earth was it for? And what did it mean?

The nurse had Yusei turn his back to the door suddenly as she began to look at the wounds through the light of the window to get a better look at them. She didn't even glance at the strange mark. However since Yusei's shirt had been removed Jesse could now also clearly see the mark of the full body of the dragon on the boy's back. Jesse had to keep himself from gasping as he saw it, and he saw Glisten bristle in confusion out of the corner of his eye. It was red, but it was unmistakable. It was the same symbol he saw everyday at the Dragon's Hollow.

It was the mark of the dragon they had found in Peru. They hadn't known its meaning but had placed it in the Dragon's Hollow, mostly because it gave the place a feeling of being protected. The relief made everyone feel safe. Though Jesse wasn't sure what was going on, or why this mark was on Yusei's back, but as he looked at it he didn't feel scared. It wasn't like the purple marks that made him so nervous when they had seen them before in the attack that had killed Yusei's mother. But he still didn't have any idea what it could mean. He got a closer look at it.

It was exactly the same, down to every detail, of the relief, only on Yusei's back and red in color. He saw the head, which looked eerily like the mark on Yusei's arm, and other parts. The body was long and curved, with almost stick like wings and a second face like looking part on its tail. It had its front and back claws, and clutched in the front claw was a strange shape. A heart maybe? So what did this mark have to do with Yusei and Roman, and what did it mean? He decided it was best to ask about it, but he didn't want to freak the boy out.

The old nurse quickly left the room to go get the medicine and other supplies, giving Jesse the chance he needed to ask about it. He slowly walked over to the boy and looked down at him, glad to see though that the wounds on his shoulder already looked much better and were wrapped again now in bandages. Yusei paused and looked at the professor as Jesse gave the same gentle and trustworthy smile he gave everyone.

“That's a strange mark you have there,” Jesse said. “Two in fact. I can tell they're powerful magic. Yet it doesn't scare me. Strange, don't you think?”

He saw Yusei's eyes flash with some other emotion, and he seemed suddenly to be fighting with himself. This surprised Jesse a little bit. He hardly knew the boy but he knew he was one to know exactly what he wanted and needed. The fact that he seemed so conflicted was in fact quite surprising. Yusei looked away quickly suddenly.

“I'm not asking you to tell me much,” Jesse replied noticing how Yusei had reacted to this. “It looks like its something kind of...more than you've let on though. It's strange. I didn't think that relief had any meaning, but it apparently does.”

Jesse stood silently as he watched Yusei a moment more, who refused to look up at him. He glanced also over at Star, who looked nervous. This only confirmed Jesse's suspicions that there was something far more serious going on here than what they had first thought, something still shrouded in mystery. These marks were strange, whether they were purple or red.

Maybe these marks were somehow connected, and that's why Roman was so bent on attacking and apparently capturing Yusei. That's the only explanation that made sense. And Jesse knew from his work at the Order of Shade that many of the Psychics of the Arcadia Movement had joined Roman's cause, whatever that really was. Then there was the strange magic of the purple marks that none of them could fight. It was the only magic that didn't need an incantation when used by a human spell caster, which was unheard of. Humans had to use incantations to direct their magic.

Did that mean that Yusei possessed a similar magic? Also why did the purple marks make him feel afraid just at the sight of them, yet the red marks made him feel calm? It was as if something was watching over him. Did Yugi even know about his newest student's strange marks? He had many questions but few answers. And it appeared that even though Yusei knew at least a little more of what was going on he wasn't able to tell. Something was holding him back, something that was wrestling with one of his basic instincts: Fight and flight.

“Yusei,” Jesse suddenly said, unable to keep myself from doing so. “Do you know what really happened, the day of the Zero Reverse? I understand it may be painful but...”

“N-Not really,” Yusei replied, obviously glad for the subject change. “I mean there was a note with me when Martha found me, but I didn't understand it when I was younger.”

Jesse found a lump forming in his throat. Right, Hakase had sent his son out in an escape pod in the slight hope that he could escape the blast. It was a miracle that he had survived at all at such a young age. But Hakase had also sent out a note to try and explain what had really happened. Of course though it had ended up in the Satellite, where nothing could be done to clear Hakase's name. Though he wasn't dead, it still left a bad taste in his mouth to think that his only son thought he was, and didn't know the truth of it. The world needed to know the truth, but he'd settle for now for just Yusei.

“Listen Yusei,” Jesse said. “I'm going to tell you what I know. I...I heard it from Zane Truesdale, one of your Professors. He was there at the Zero Reverse, and he's one of the few that survived.”

Yusei turned his eyes to Jesse, with a peculiar look on his face. It was the closest thing Jesse had ever seen on his face to pain, but interest as well. He obviously wanted to know. He was the kind of person who wanted to understand. He'd heard the same story since he had been young, but now he was hearing the truth, even if indirectly, from someone who had been there. Yusei realized now why Professor Truesdale had seemed so interested in him. Jesse took a deep breath to calm his racing heart as he looked up at those clear blue eyes.

“The Zero Reverse wasn't an accident,” Jesse said, the horror of the statement making Yusei's eyes widen. It was murder then. “but it wasn't your father's fault. He was trying to stop the explosion. He saved the lives of many people, including Zane Truesdale. He then had to send you out in an escape pod, hoping against hope you would survive. The countdown was at about two minutes then though, and Hakase was never found. That's not however the worst part...”

Jesse paused. Why was he telling Yusei this? Did he really need to know about it? What if he wanted revenge and went after Roman? No Yusei didn't seem like the type to do that, and he wasn't going to let the boy out of his sight. If anything it might make the boy more cautious. But still, it seemed both somehow wrong that he know and somehow right. Jesse shook his head and forced himself to continue since the boy remained silent still.

“The man heading the project was named Roman Goodwin,” he said. “I saw your mark and thought of him...because he had the same mark on his forearm.” Yusei reached for his mark, gripping it tightly. That was a habit that Roman had once had with the same mark. “The head of a dragon yes. While he had that mark he was kind. But one day a purple mark appeared on his other arm, and he became different. He cut off his right arm and the red mark, leaving only the purple mark of a spider on his left arm. Then the same mark appeared on the reactor as the meltdown began. I'm not sure but...I think that Roman was responsible for the Zero Reverse. I still don't know how, or why. Roman was such a good man...”

Jesse paused however and looked up in surprise. Yusei's eyes had widened, and he was staring at a tile on the floor. A look of terror had passed over the boy's face suddenly and he gripped at the mark on his arm tighter. Jesse's surprise only grew a little as he saw that both the mark on his arm and the one of his back glowed crimson briefly. It glowed just like the other mark he had seen, but again it didn't make him feel nervous.

Yusei felt instinctive fear sparking in his chest. He had heard of that purple mark before, when the girl had tried to take him to her “older brother” with a mark just like his, only purple and not red. Were those the Dark Signers he had been told of? His enemies? And they were already trying to catch him? He had the awful feeling suddenly that Roman's murder spree had yet to end, and that the man wanted to catch him for some reason.

His arm and back gave a pang, and he knew that Jack and Aki, and whoever the other signers were, would all be able to sense this fear that he felt. Maybe it wouldn't be as strong as his since they hadn't fully been acknowledged as Signers yet, but they would feel it. Roman had been a good man? He must have been if he had the same mark once that Yusei bore now. Yet the other mark had won out and made him cruel. Yusei couldn't help but wonder if the man wasn't fully in control of his actions or not, and if he regretted what he had done.

“A purple mark?” Yusei said quietly, the words leaving his lips unbidden.

“Yusei is something wrong?” Jesse asked, unsure what to make of this reaction.

“I-I don't know,” Yusei said, then paused. “Yes. There's something very wrong. But I'm not sure what. I just feel scared suddenly, like something's about to happen.”

Jesse looked down at the boy's mark suddenly. Was that somehow alerting him to something that they hadn't realized yet? He had the feeling suddenly that this mark was much more than it appeared to be, much more ancient, and much more powerful. What was its true purpose? Yusei gripped at it more even though the marks' glowing faded and returned to the dull crimson tattoo looking mark. Jesse looked closely at the boy's face.

“Professor,” Yusei asked suddenly. “Roman Goodwin isn't dead, is he? And he's looking for me.”

Jesse's eyes widened in surprise, and Glisten let out a snort as well. Star looked at the older dragon but seemed like she also wanted an answer to this. She was nervous for her partner and didn't seem to know much what to make of this scene. Yusei's mark had alerted him to that? There was no way the boy could have known, but suddenly he did. Jesse felt his eyes softening a little as he looked down at the confused and scared boy. Whatever he was involved in really, the poor boy wasn't too sure what was going on.

“Yes,” Jesse replied. “I think that he is.” Then he paused and added. “That's why, if anything goes wrong, you find me, or Zane, or Yugi or Jaden. Any of us. We'll help as much as we possibly can. You're much safer here at Duel Academy than you ever were in the Satellite. We're here to help you Yusei.”

Yusei seemed to pause and looked up at the teacher, maybe a little surprised at this. But he seemed to relax a little bit at this assurance as he saw the teacher's sad but trustworthy smile. The boy looked down again, but he didn't look nearly so afraid. Deep in the back of his mind, Yusei felt the Crimson Dragon stir.

“ _ **This man is trustworthy,**_ ” he assured the boy. “ _ **I can sense his heart. He keeps secrets, but so do we. He truly wishes to help guard you, though his reasons for doing so remain veiled to my sight for now. You have revealed much to him already, but I do not reprimand you for it. He is one of the few that I will trust with this information.**_ ”

With that the god disappeared again, and Yusei felt a soft sight leaving his lips. He wasn't worried about Professor Anderson now. He had wanted to keep as many secrets as possible instinctively, but apparently Jesse knew a lot more than even he realized. Jesse smiled and handed Yusei a spare shirt, which he pulled on over the sour muscles, grabbing a spare jacket to do the same as the rest would be laundered for him.

“Well come on,” Jesse said with a smile. “We're both late to class now. You have my class next right? That would be 'Reaching into the Spirit Realm'. We'll grab what else we need and head right on over.”

Yusei nodded as Glisten reached out and gently pulled the boy to his feet with by his uninjured arm. She then purred as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders and began to lead him out down the hallway. Star followed quickly and quietly, seeming to think more highly of both Glisten and Jesse now. Jesse however hung back, and for a moment his eyes uncharacteristically darkened with worry. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew that everyone needed to know. This was beyond coincidence or even bizarre.

These events were still mysterious and terrifying. But he did his best to put on a calming and gentle smile for the poor boy. Yusei Fudo was right in the middle of this, whatever it really was. And what he needed right now was support.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's the chapter. Jesse finally revealed to Yusei what really happened, and Yusei's begun to piece more and more things together from what he's already learned. Jesse's got some information for everyone else (and Zane has some too). Things are getting more interesting to say the least. I hope you enjoyed and feel free to leave a review below.


	18. Silent Lines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter eighteen guys! I'm thrilled that so many people are enjoying this story so far. I promise that we'll work towards the actual “war” part of this story soon enough, but we're still building up to that point now. We'll get to see more of things beginning to work together now. I hope you guys continue to enjoy and feel free to leave a review below.  
> And also, this is a long chapter. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

“Sorry for holding everyone up,” Professor Anderson called as he beamed at the class, bringing Yusei inside behind him. Glisten and Star were close behind. “I had to take our newest student to the Hospital Wing for a bit of a check up.”

Everyone was peering up at Yusei with some interest now, and of course the girls were all practically fainting at the sight of him. A few boys growled in an almost angry manner at him. However Yusei paused and looked up at the sight of two familiar faces. It was Kenny and Natalie from earlier. They were sitting next to each other in desks and staring up at Yusei. He thought they both looked probably a little guilty. He supposed they thought they'd hurt him.

Their partners were close behind, whom he realized he didn't even know their names yet. Well he supposed that there was always time to make sure there were no hard feelings between them. He looked over the rest of the classroom, and noticed that Aki wasn't there. He was a little surprised. She had promised to show him around class today but she wasn't here. Yusei felt a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. What was going on in her head? He shouldn't have said what he had, and he knew from the Crimson Dragon's help that she was the kind of person to take it all to heart.

“It looks like the only open seat is by Aki,” Professor Anderson said, then he paused and looked around. “Is she not here?”

“She didn't come into class today sir,” Kenny said, rasing his hand to get the teacher's attention as he did so.

“Is that so?” Professor Anderson sighed. It wasn't that uncommon but she appeared at his class more often than not. “Well, would you be fine taking the seat next to hers then Yusei? Over there.” Professor Anderson pointed to two empty seats on the far wall.

Without saying a word Yusei turned and made his way over to the two seats, sitting in the one that didn't have a name on the desk in front of it. Aki's name plate was beside it and that chair was left empty. Of course, she picked a small desk as far away from other students as possible. However it also meant that it was the only open seat and she was going to be sitting by Yusei and unable to get away from him, once again. He supposed it wasn't too bad. They hadn't killed each other yet.

Yusei sat silently in his chair as Professor Anderson beamed out at everyone and instructed them to take out a notepad and turn to page 394 in their textbooks. Yusei sighed a little as he heard this. Great. He was right handed. While he could fix things with his left hand, he found it much harder to write with it. He pulled out his notebook and a pen though and began trying his best to write in a legible way. Eventually though, Natalie seemed to see his distress and waved to get his attention.

“I'll take notes for you,” she mouthed to him. Yusei nodded his thanks to her. He'd been unable to properly take notes because he couldn't write well with his left hand.

Yusei turned his attention to listening instead in class while everyone else frantically scribbled into their notebooks. Star on the other hand, was watching Yusei. It was a little bit strange, but he seemed almost more relaxed than even when he was in class or reading a book. It was like he was just one of those people who loved to learn. She knew that he liked to have as much knowledge as possible, but she couldn't help but wonder what was going on in his head, and if he was trying to learn as much as he could because of something the Crimson Dragon had told him.

For now though, paying attention in class was a sweet distraction from the actual life threatening stuff that was going on. He couldn't help but admit that what Professor Anderson was saying was fascinating. He'd never heard some of these things about the Spirit Realm, and keeping his mind on it kept his mind off of the ever watchful Crimson Dragon. He was glad to not be thinking of it. He'd prefer to pretend, even for just a moment, that he was just a normal student living a normal life, instead of facing a catastrophe that might end the world.

The lesson in itself was really just basics, but Yusei knew that those could be very important as well. He was going over such things like the dangers within the Spirit Realm, the different levels where the different types of creatures were found, and how to reach into the Spirit Realm without getting yourself stuck there and unable to return, which had happened several times.

While Duel Spirits weren't going to harm humans, there were many other dangers, such as ending up in the home of a territorial Spirit who might not take kindly to it, to angering Spirits, or even to coming across obstacles. One point however that was stressed a lot was coming into contact with unknown creatures and unknown threats. Professor Anderson pointed out something else though that made Yusei's scalp prickle.

“And there seems to be an unusual amount of Spirit Energy in the Spirit Realm right now,” he said, still writing away on the chalk board. “These can come from large gatherings of very magical creatures, such as dragons or spell casters, but they can also come from ancient resting places.”

“Resting places?” Kenny asked. “Like graveyards?” Professor Anderson turned and looked at him, a very serious look on his face. Everyone felt a shiver run up their spines.

“No,” he said. “What I'm talking about isn't the place where the dead are laid. They're places full of magical energy and powerful illusions. They're said to be places where the ancient gods could reach our realm, to help or to hinder. It's also said that ancient gods rest in these places, sleeping silently.”

“What put them to sleep?” a girl in the front of the class asked.

“That no one knows,” Professor Anderson replied, leaning back against his desk. “It's said that about five thousand years ago there was a massive war of the gods, which is now known as the War of the Immortals. Many gods were said to have sealed themselves away into these places to keep peace, and others for purposes much more important than even that. Legends say that if one of these gods were to awaken, disaster would follow, because it's sealing away a great evil.”

The class was silent now, but Yusei felt his arm beginning to burn. He had a feeling that he knew exactly what Professor Anderson was talking about, even if the man didn't know so himself. However Professor Anderson did pause as he noticed Yusei's eyes flash, and his left hand instinctively gripped at his right. He was forcefully reminded that Roman had once done much the same thing, to grab at the mark that sat on the same place that it now sat on Yusei's arm. The other students didn't seem to notice the odd pause and continued to ask questions, making Professor Anderson turn back with a smile, though he continued to watch Yusei's reaction.

“So these places are dangerous?” a boy asked. “Aren't the gods guarding us then?”

“They're dangerous for another reason,” Jesse continued. “Mostly because the energy that they can leak from these gods can cause injury, especially when one of these gods stirs. The farther they awaken the more energy is leaked. Until the god is fully awakened it will not be able to keep these powers from harming others. These 'gods' are actually little more than Duel Spirits themselves, only they are immortal, and they are the first. Because of this they have incredible power, and they're said to not have any type at all.”

“None?” Natalie gasped.

“No,” Professor Anderson replied as more notes were scribbled by the class. “You see the Duel Spirits believe that there is a perfect balance, and there were six original elements. These elements were said to have created the Ancient Spirits, or gods if you will, so they have no true element. Its said these gods are so powerful because they can take on all elements, bend them to their will, and even create magic that no one else can.”

Yusei's hand tightened on his arm again. New magic? Was that the powers that the Crimson Dragon had mentioned him getting? The more Professor Anderson talked, the more he was sure that the man had noticed his reaction and was slipping more and more out so that he could see what he truly was going to react to. As much as Yusei didn't like it, he had to admit that Professor Anderson was smart. And he trusted his judgment. The Crimson Dragon was watchful but silent now after all.

“Now can anyone name the six original elements?” Professor Anderson asked. He looked around the room, but no one moved. Finally Star nudged Yusei's uninjured shoulder gently.

“ _Might as well say it,_ ” she said. “ _He wants to see how you react, so there's no point in hiding it now._ ”

Yusei had to admit she was right. Professor Anderson knew little more than he himself did. This would do little more than to help give him clues as to what was really going on. He wouldn't know of the Dark Signers or the secrets Yusei had to keep. He wouldn't know either that the Crimson Dragon wouldn't awaken until all six Signers had been accepted by the Crimson Dragon officially. Professor Anderson had no idea that he was so close to figuring out how close he really was to discovering the disaster that was truly about to unfold. He forced himself to calm and raised his hand.

“Yusei,” Professor Anderson called on him.

“The original six elements are Fire, Wind, Dark, Light, Plant, and Earth,” Yusei replied. “According to the legends of the Duel Spirits these elements created the Ancient Spirits, and then gave them the power to govern over the world they created. They also banded together to create every other element and creature until they created the entire world.”

“Correct,” Professor Anderson replied, a little surprised that Yusei already knew so much. It was rare for Duel Spirits to share their histories and legends. “There were once many legends of one single god, said to have used all six of the original elements. This is the same god as the one said to seal away a calamity.”

“And how do these gods get back to our world?” Kenny asked.

“They need an anchor,” Professor Anderson said, beginning to draw a model on the board. “These were often temples dedicated to the gods, and sometimes its said that humans were the anchors for these gods.”

Yusei's eyes widened. An Anchor? He felt a strong urge to look over his shoulder, as if he could see the mark that was on his back. Was that what he was? If it could be a person then...but how was that even possible? Professor Anderson continued to explain about how the anchors were said to have worked, but deep in his mind Yusei felt the presence of the god stir.

“ _ **Yes Yusei,**_ ” the Crimson Dragon said. “ _ **You are my anchor, a link between my resting place and the human realm. You wondered why you're able to hear my voice and feel me at all times? It's because of this. We're bonded by a powerful magic, one that links our minds. This is to allow me to find you through the cracks in the realms that are created over these 'resting places' that we once called Rifts. Through these Rifts I can pinpoint your location and come to it.**_ ”

 _But why is it a person now?_ Yusei thought. _And how do the Rifts work?_

“ _ **The Rifts were created at the dawn of time,**_ ” the god explained in his calm voice. “ _ **They were created and left there because the Ancient Spirits used them to travel between the Realms, even to the Realm of the dead, to keep the order in this world.**_ _ **These Rifts however are unstable, and without the gods to manage them they have become unpredictable. Humans get lost in the Spirit and Shadow Realms and Duel Spirits can cross between. This is also what allowed the magic and Duel Spirits to come through in Ancient Egypt, for they were the first humans to cross over.**_ ”

The god was silent for a while as Yusei thought about that, and his reaction was unnoticed by anyone within the classroom. The Rifts were meant to be there? And that's how all this inter-realm travel was possible? Then why had all of the gods not been tending them? Was that because of the War of the Immortals? Yusei heard the god begin to purr in appreciation again at the boy's sharp mind.

“ _ **Yes Yusei,**_ ” the Crimson Dragon replied. “ _ **The gods were sealed because of the War of the Immortals. Those of us who loved humans fought to keep the realms safe from those who did not. They wished to reign over all like evil kings while others toiled under them. We wished for the realms to prosper on their own. So we fought a long war that lasted thousands of years. This was also when the Signers were created and thousands of years later broke their peace with me and forced me to seal the Earthbound Immortals away with my own power, and when the Egyptians crossed the Rifts. Five Thousand years ago was one of the final battles, when the Egyptian gods and I still walked this world.**_ ”

 _So you mean that the war that Yugi fought, that Jaden fought, and that I'm fighting are all connected to this one event?_ Yusei gasped in his mind.

“ _ **Indeed they are,**_ ” the Crimson Dragon replied. “ _ **The war between the Spirit and Shadow Realms began in this time, and allowed for Jaden's war to come into this one. The Egyptian gods sealed away Zorc to defeat him later,** **creating Yugi's war** **. And I sealed away the Earthbound Immortals to save this world from their wrath,** **creating our own.** **But Yusei, even this is not the final battle. These battles didn't just rage on here, but across space and other planes of existence. These wars are still going and are not going to end any time soon. Though this is our favorite world and the first, we helped to create others. And the realms would fall apart without being balanced by other dimensions.** **And even still, others may come to light.** **But Yusei, for now we have our own war to fight. Do not dwell on others.**_ ”

Professor Anderson was pointing out the exact structure to which these monuments to the gods were built to allow for the enormous power released when they entered another realm. He was explaining with such detail that Yusei was suddenly glad that Natalie was taking notes for him. He wasn't exactly paying attention with the god talking to him. It was probably the only time Yusei was going to admit that talking to someone during a lesson was more important than school work.

“ _ **My Anchor was once a temple,**_ ” he said. “ _ **However temples can be destroyed and magic can be drained from the ground. Why do you think the relief in the Dragon's Hollow, though a copy, is gray instead of the red it should be? That's why I made my Anchor into a human. It's because a human's soul is resistant to magic. Your soul can handle the magic I bring with me when I pass through the Rifts and dissolve it harmlessly into the Signer Marks that you carry. Your soul links your mind to mine and allows me to find you in a world full of humans. Yes Yusei, it's not your body that I need as an Anchor, but** **your** **soul.**_ ”

 _So I'm guessing that not anyone can be the Anchor for a god,_ Yusei thought.

“ _ **Of course not,**_ ” the Crimson Dragon replied. “ _ **That's why the one who leads the Signers and carries the fully dragon isn't always the same person? My Anchor must be a soul like yours, one that's full of power but has the compassion and the humility to not use it to harm others. It's the soul of a kind King that I need, the soul of one who can rule fairly. And you Yusei, possess this soul. It's a rare one, even in days when humans were kinder. That Yusei is something you must cherish.**_ ”

Yusei fell silent, and the god disappeared silently into the back of his mind again. He looked up again at Professor Anderson, who had turned back to the class. Jesse paused when he saw how pale Yusei suddenly seemed to be. He was under the impression suddenly that the boy knew a lot more than he was letting on right now. He definitely didn't want to push the boy. He was going through a lot of turmoil right now. But at the same time, the boy really did seem to trust him. He wasn't entirely sure why, but his eyes traveled for an instant towards the boy's right forearm.

“So one of these is acting up?” a boy asked. “Does that mean that the god is waking up?”

“That's what we think,” Professor Anderson replied, turning back to the class. “It seems that the god that sleeps here is not fully awake yet, but is extremely powerful. The locals don't even have any clue as to what this god is, since the temple is all but destroyed and they can't find many clues and don't have many legends of it. Next time we'll be attempting to go into the Spirit Realm, however you'll need to stay away from this area.”

“Is it somewhere we would end up?” Kenny asked.

“It might be,” Professor Anderson replied. “Often it's easier to appear along resting places, so it's not uncommon. The area is a flat land with a forest surrounding it. There is a giant lake in the middle of this area, and no matter what time of day it is this lake appears to be a golden color. It's also said that the magic that escapes from here is a crimson color. Be sure to stay away from here, and any other odd places. The Spirit Realm looks mostly exactly like ours, so if something looks odd it's mostly likely strange and you need to stay away from it.”

Yusei felt his heart skip a beat as he heard that. A golden lake? He'd seen that in his dream when he had been contacted by the Crimson Dragon. Was it possible that he had already visited this place in his dreams? Had he already gone into the Spirit Realm? Was this part of being a Signer. Yusei's eyes dialated a little as he thought about it. This was beyond strange and he wasn't sure how to deal with all of the confusion. He felt more vulnerable than ever. The Crimson Dragon had said to steer clear of his enemies, but who exactly were his enemies?

Professor Anderson noticed Yusei looked even more freaked out now. Why? Because of the description of this place? Had he already seen it? His mind instantly went to those odd marks. It had to be because of those. But what were they, and what were they used for? This confirmed one thing for him though. This was definitely powerful magic that was controlled by someone. Or to be correct, something. It must have been a dragon, that much was blatantly obvious with his marks. And Yusei had a dragon for a partner.

Come to think of it, there were a lot more dragons at the school than ever before this year. And there were suddenly several dragons that they'd never even heard of, let alone ever seen before. Now that he was actually thinking about it, dragons seemed to suddenly be popping up more and more. They were a mysterious but very magical race that was said to be able to predict disasters at times, especially when it dealt with others of their kind. Is that what was going on? Were they all sensing something that they hadn't noticed yet? He smiled again though and turned back to the class, making Yusei jump as he spoke.

“Alright,” he said. “Class is dismissed. When we meet again we'll be attempting to enter the Spirit Realm. So please study up and be prepared to go in.”

Yusei quickly began to put away his things, and Star noticed how jumpy he was being. She hated that she didn't know what was going on, but she also knew that Yusei would tell her about it later when he wasn't so freaked out. Right now she didn't want him hurting himself anymore. She gently brushed his hand away from the school supplies and began putting them carefully back into his bag. Even this made Yusei jump, and his eyes went wide. He was pale too. Star let out a soft purr as she began putting everything away.

“You okay man?” Kenny asked from the side with his Blizzard Dragon, now in his human form, behind him. Yusei winced then looked up.

“Uh,” he said. “Y-Yeah...no. I don't know.”

Kenny and Natalie glanced at each other. This wasn't the same boy they'd met earlier today. From what they had seen he was sure of himself, confident and cool. Yet now something seemed to have really freaked him out. He didn't look like this when he had come in either. What had Professor Anderson said during the lesson that had made him act like this? They glanced over and saw that Professor Anderson was also watching Yusei closely. The Curse of Dragon nudged Natalie who smiled and stepped forward, watching Star carefully.

“Oh,” she said gently. “I haven't introduced my Partner yet have I?” She motioned at the Curse of Dragon, who waved, his perceptive eyes watching him carefully. “This is Spite, my Curse of Dragon Partner.”

“Oh and this is Frostbite,” Kenny said, motioning to his Blizzard Dragon Partner. “My Blizzard Dragon Partner.”

“Right,” Yusei said, taking a deep breath to calm himself. When he looked at them again he looked less pale and his expressionless mask was back. “This is Star. She's a Stardust Dragon.” Star eyed the four of them a little bit, her eyes flaming. The two dragons lowered their heads to her. Natalie shifted nervously and Kenny scratched his chin.

“Um,” Natalie said. “No hard feelings about earlier right?”

Star eyed them for a moment, sizing them up. However they didn't seem to be very angry anymore. In fact they looked quite ashamed of all that had happened. She watched them for a moment more and then sighed. As protective as she was of her Partner, she generally was a very nice Spirit. She was also one to forgive. Though she threatened to kill people a lot she wouldn't actually hurt anyone. She smiled at them, and they seemed to relax.

“Guess that means no,” Kenny said. He then glanced at Yusei. “Hey we didn't hurt you earlier did we?”

“No,” Yusei replied. “It's just not hard to get a wound like this aggravated again.”

“We heard about what happened,” Natalie said, shyly looking at the boy. “Is it bad?”

“I'm not going to lie and say that it isn't,” Yusei replied. “But I'll live.”

There seemed to be an awkward silence suddenly between all of them. Yusei was trying to force his racing heart to calm. Kenny and Frostbite were glancing nervously at the boy, seeming to be worried about the way he was still gripping at his right forearm apparently without even thinking about it. Natalie nervously shifted again and held out her notebook.

“I uh,” she said. “I can copy the notes for you later. I know it must be hard. I can tell you're not left handed.”

“Oh,” Yusei said. “Thanks. That would help a lot.”

“I-It's not problem,” she said, blushing and hiding behind Spite suddenly. Kenny on the other hand sighed and crossed his arms.

“Well it looks like you've been through hell and then some,” he said. “I was a jerk earlier, and I apologize. Truth be told, I feel like I like you. You're just the kind of guy that people can tell anything to. And I only act like a jerk because that's what I thought made you cool. Hell, Jack Atlas is way nicer than me. So I apologize.”

“I'm sorry too,” Natalie said quietly. “We shouldn't have been so reckless when you were so hurt. And I feel bad for Aki. I mean...she doesn't seem to mean. She just looks like she pushes everyone away. I should know. I do that too. Its just that...well I'm scared of her. Everyone is. Its not that we think she's a bad person...we just don't want to get on her bad side. Its more of her reputation than anything.”

“When you think about it,” Kenny said quietly, giving Yusei an odd look that made him pause and look up in surprise. “The two of you are a lot alike. Jack Atlas too. You're just a bunch of kids who were hurt really bad. Two of you were from the Satellite, and one was born a Psychic. You're all a bunch of outcasts. And it's sad to see it.”

Yusei just blinked up at them. He was like Aki? Yes he supposed he was a lot like her. No he knew that he was. There was no denying it. But he was surprised that these two had seemed to notice. He hadn't really given a thought about what anyone else thought about the two of them. Everyone had just seemed to judge him, Aki and Jack alike. But it seemed that people here were far more understanding than any of them had thought they were. A small smile touched his face then, and he finally felt his heart calm. Maybe there was a lot of stuff going on, but it was moments like these when he felt like he could do anything.

“Maybe,” he said. “But I think its something that we all need to work on. We'll just have to work out the kinks as we go along.”

The four from the city all paused and just stared at the boy. They'd never seen that kind of expression on his face before, and yet it made him suddenly all the more attractive for it. There was just something about his eyes, the way his face lit up, that just made them feel happy themselves. Maybe it was just a small smile, but it made them smile in return.

“Hey um,” Kenny said. “We were going to go get lunch before heading over to P.E. Wanna come with us?”

“Sure,” Yusei said, then sighed. “But I'll need to go get Aki.”

“Why didn't she come to class?” Natalie asked.

“I'd rather not say,” Yusei said. “It's kind of personal for her.”

Yusei jumped in surprise as suddenly Natalie leaned down, forgetting about her tendency to be shy, and stared right at him. Yusei just blinked at her as she seemed to be searching his face. Kenny, Frostbite and Spite all seemed confused as well, wondering what on earth she was looking at him like that for. Star on the other hand seemed to blink and stare at his face too for a long time.

“You like her,” Natalie said. “Aki. You like her don't you?”

Yusei blinked again. Did he like Aki? Hell he'd never liked anyone in his entire life. There wasn't much thinking about it in the Satellite until you were old enough to get married. But he couldn't deny that Aki was very attractive. Even though they'd fought he wanted to be near her. That was because the Crimson Dragon had told him to right? He knew it wasn't. He didn't know why, but he liked to be around her. Maybe she did have a temper and she did have a tendency to push everyone away, but he couldn't deny that he had one either. She seemed to understand more about him than he knew. And since he knew more about her from the Crimson Dragon, he felt like he knew her his whole life. There were flaws, there always were. But there was a good girl under all of that. But did he like her?

Hell, he knew he did.

The thought brought unbidden images of him holding her hand and kissing her. He tried to think of something else but he couldn't. Why the heck did he have to start thinking of her like that of all times? He'd never thought of anyone like that! A blush suddenly spread over his face though he didn't mean for it to. Star and Natalie began giggling suddenly. Kenny just blinked. For a guy who could hide his emotions so well, Yusei just couldn't hide it when it came to girls.

Kenny reached over and pulled Yusei to his feet before the girls could drill him for any information and dragged him out of the classroom. The two male dragons followed him out, looking absolutely confused. Yusei felt himself very annoyed suddenly at Star. For hating Aki just a less than an hour ago she seemed to be enjoying this a lot. Natalie and Star ran out after the two boys, their giggling fits seeming to subside a little. Star handed Yusei back his bag.

“ _Aw Yusei,_ ” she said. “ _That's so cute. I didn't think you liked anyone._ ”

“You know for not liking Aki earlier,” he said, blushing furiously. “You seem to enjoy this a whole lot.”

“ _Well you know,_ ” Star said, bursting into another giggling fit.

Yusei didn't know and didn't look very amused at this. Star took her dragon form and lowered her hand for him. He sighed but pulled himself up into the protective embrace of her claws. She took off into the air and the other two dragons followed with their riders close behind. Within a few minutes they came to the balconies of Dragon's Hollow. The three dragons landed, and Yusei jumped down.

“Wait here,” Yusei said. “I'll go get her.”

Kenny and Natalie didn't complain as Star returned to her human form and they went through the door to their room. Yusei tossed his bag on the bed and then went around to the front door of Aki's room. He paused, listening through the door. Then he sighed and forced the images of them dating out of his head. Now wasn't the time for that. He knocked on the door and waited for a while in silence.

“Who's there?” Aki asked from the other side of the door.

“Aki it's me,” Yusei replied. “Why weren't you in class?”

“I just hurt you,” Aki replied with a bitter laugh. “And you're asking me why I wasn't in class?”

“Listen,” Yusei sighed. “I was wrong okay? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that and let my anger get the better of me, and I shouldn't have been so rude. So it's not like I can blame you. I deserved it. Besides the wound isn't too bad. You're not a coward and you're not weak.” Then he looked up at the door. “I think Rogue's got a good friend in you, if you're willing to punch me just for talking down about her.”

There was silence from the other side of the door. Yusei didn't move an inch though and stared at the door like it was about to open for him. The silence stretched on as Star watched. She wanted to be mad at Aki. She'd hurt her partner after all. But she also knew that Aki was a damaged child, just like Yusei and Jack. There were a lot of them in this world. And she suddenly couldn't find it in her heart to be mad at her anymore. Star just wanted to find a way to help them.

“I'm sorry too,” Aki said quietly. “I didn't think, and you got hurt. I shouldn't have said any of that. It was horrible. I was just so mad...but then I hurt you! I don't ever want to hurt anyone again.”

Yusei paused as he heard her start crying again from the other side of the door. He sighed and leaned his head up against it. Star felt her heart breaking a little at the sound. That was why Aki pushed people away? So she wouldn't hurt them? Maybe they had hurt her, but she was far too kind under that rough exterior to want to hurt anyone.

“Then that just proves you're not a monster,” Yusei said quietly. The crying stopped abruptly. “Can I come in? Kenny and Natalie wanted to bring you along for lunch, and I need to talk to you.”

Again there was silence as the boy waited quietly outside the door. Finally the sound of the lock unlatching could be heard and Aki opened the door. Tears were still streaming down her face, and Yusei could't help but feel bad again about what he'd said earlier. She glanced at his shoulder and looked away quickly. Yusei knew though that she was really worried she'd hurt him badly.

“The wounds are closed,” he said gently. “The Nurses added some more medication, and I'll have to wear the sling longer, but it's not too bad. I'll be ready to go again in no time.”

Aki finally seemed to accept that he wasn't mad at her and moved to let him inside the door. Yusei saw Thorn sitting in the back of the room, watching Star closely and letting out gentle purrs as if to assure her that they meant her and Yusei no harm. Star went over to him and seemed to be having a silent conversation with him. Yusei on the other hand sat down on the edge of Aki's bed. She hesitated, then sat down beside him, staring at the floor.

He noticed that she had been crying quite a bit. Her face was red and puffy and there were still tears running down her face. She looked like she was about to start crying again. Without really thinking about it, Yusei reached over with his left hand and began brushing the tears away from her face. Aki jumped a little but didn't pull away from him or try and push him away.

“I'm sorry-”

“Don't start with that again,” Yusei said gently. “We've already both apologized for being jerks, so leave it in the past alright? Trust me, there's no point lingering on things that have already happened and won't change. Besides, I'd still like to be your friend, if you'd let me.”

Aki froze and looked up at Yusei as he gave her a small smile. It was absolutely the most gorgeous face she'd ever seen. Seeing Yusei smile just suddenly made her feel a whole lot better. But it also confused her greatly. She'd heard from him all about the place he'd lived before, and yet he was so gentle, compassionate, and forgiving. She couldn't understand it, and she couldn't help but ask about it when she turned her wide and confused eyes to him.

“How can you do that?” she asked.

“Do what?” Yusei asked, his smile fading for a perplexed face.

“Be so,” Aki said, fumbling with the words and looking down. “well you? With everything you've gone through how can you just forgive everyone like that? How can you just be so gentle and kind? I've lived a life of pain too but I never...”

Yusei blinked as he watched Aki a moment. She looked just so broken and confused, and he felt his heart go out to her. He felt exactly the same way right now, though for a completely different reason. He reached forward and laid his hand on top of hers. Aki winced a little a felt a slight blush creeping over her face, but Yusei didn't seem to notice. She looked up and met his serious and compassionate eyes.

“Listen,” Yusei said. “I've been where you are. Everyone hated me for something I couldn't control, and I wanted to hate people. I felt like not even Jack and Crow, who are like my brothers, didn't love me anymore. I wanted to push everyone away so I wouldn't have to hurt anymore. But I decided I didn't want a life like that.”

“How do you just decide that?” Aki asked. She looked almost desperate.

“Well,” Yusei said. “I helped someone. It wasn't much, and it certainly wasn't a lot. But it meant the world to them. I decided that I preferred helping someone over hurting them. It made me felt better, and it made me realize that even if everyone seemed to hate me, it was up to me to change that outlook. Aki, you just need to use your powers to help people, and stop pushing them away. I know its a lot harder than it sounds, believe me I do. But you can start small, even if its just with me and a few other people. Then I'm sure you'll find you like this new you much better.”

Aki paused, looking into his serious eyes. There was something gentle there, something that she just wanted to trust even without reading his mind to see if he was telling the truth or not. She quickly looked away. Why would anyone want to help her? Especially him? She'd hurt him, and after seeing the scars that he had from the Shadow Being, she knew they hurt him. He had to be in more pain even now. And yet he was smiling at her, and asking her to trust him? She should have been the one begging him to forgive her and trust her. What was it about Yusei that made him act this way? She knew what it was. It was kindness. Aki looked away again.

“Why do you even want me around you?” she asked quietly.

“I'm not going to lie and say it's not because of the Crimson Dragon,” Yusei replied. “That's definitely part of it. These marks bind us together Aki, and for better or worse we're going to have to figure out how to work this all out. But it's also because you're a lot like me. We're both broken, and I didn't think about it until now, a lot of people can see it. Natalie and Kenny made that exact same mention to me, and they said they're only scared of you because you won't let them near. I want to be able to help you, but I know that I need help too.”

“You're the most infuriating person I've ever met,” Aki cried. Then she paused though a small smile appeared on her face. “But you're probably the closest thing I've ever really had to having a person who really understands me, even if you do have to force me to be around you sometimes.” Then she looked up at him. “But...could you not hide so much about all of this from me? The Crimson Dragon, I mean.”

Aki paused as she saw, for the first time, weakness pass over Yusei's face. She felt fear crawling up her own throat as she saw it, and her right arm gave a pang. She reached for it, and she noticed that he did the same without thinking about it. She knew then that he was right when he said that these marks bound them together. His fear was passed clearly to her own mark, and it made her feel fear as well, and also an instinctive need to reach out and help.

Yusei looked down at the floor, and he looked extremely freaked out. That single sentence had brought the whole reality of what was slowly rearing its ugly head back to the light. He felt like there was far too much responsibility on his shoulders suddenly. How was he supposed to lead all these people in the fight to protect the whole world? Yusei hadn't wanted to be the leader of Team Satisfaction for this reason. He wasn't a good leader. He was insecure. What did the Crimson Dragon see in him that made him think he would be?

Aki couldn't stand to see that look on his face anymore. She reached over before thinking about it and pulled him into a hug, gently making sure that she didn't hurt his injured shoulder anymore. That meant that she mostly just grabbed his head and pulled it into his chest. They both started blushing at this, though the other didn't notice. However it effectively distracted Yusei from his doubting thoughts. They both just sat there for a while. They were silent.

Yusei felt his own racing heart beginning to calm though as he sat there, listening to Aki's strong heartbeat. He forced himself to take a deep breath. That's right, he wasn't alone. Maybe he was supposed to lead the Signers, but he couldn't let fear get the best of him. There wasn't time, and there was no fall back plan. He'd just have to do his best, and hopefully the others would be there to catch him if he did fall. He wrapped his left arm around Aki and buried his face into her shoulder. She just pulled him closer.

“It'll be alright,” she said. “We'll get through it. I can tell it's really stressing you out. Do you...need to talk about it?”

“I wouldn't know where to begin,” Yusei said quietly. Then he slowly pulled away and met her gaze. She paused. “Just look into my mind. It would be simpler.”

“A-Are you sure?” she asked nervously. She'd never just been asked to look into anyone's mind. And she certainly didn't want to do anything wrong and hurt him. He just nodded though.

“Yes,” he said. “It would be way easier.”

Aki nodded slowly and then reached up towards his head. Her hands paused, trembling, on either side of his head but not touching him. She really didn't want to mess up now and scare him off. He was one of the few people that actually talked to him, though he was also one of the few that made her not run away from them. She took a calming breath and laid her hands on his temples. He just closed his eyes. She took another deep breath and did so as well.

She froze abruptly when she reached into his mind, because she could feel something else there. It was ancient and powerful, and she clearly caught sight of a crimson creature with bright yellow eyes. However this creature didn't attack and instead began directing her towards certain memories that Yusei had, showing her scenes and tidbits of information. At first it was just scenes of what Yusei really thought of Aki, of how he wasn't scared of her and wanted to help her. It was as if this creature wanted her to know that Yusei wasn't just wanting her as a “trophy” freak friend as she had once said. She knew she could trust the memories because they couldn't lie.

Soon though those memories changed. She began to see things through his eyes that she'd never seen before, including scenes from the Satellite. She couldn't stand to see those streets, and the more she looked at them through his eyes and felt what he thought, the more horrible she found the place. But she also found that there was great joy there for the boy as well. The scenes began to grow more recent, until suddenly she realized that they were from today.

She saw Yusei's dream first at the golden lake, and the Crimson Dragon appearing. She heard his conversation with the creature. She saw as he woke up and went to class, how the Crimson Dragon spoke to him before sharing the memory link between the two of them and their dragons. She then saw Professor Anderson with Yusei in the Hospital Wing and the conversation that they'd had there. When Professor Anderson explained about the Zero Reverse she felt Yusei's raw pain and fear at the realization and she couldn't help but cry too, making both of the dragons jump up in confusion and worry.

Then to add on top of that confusion, he went to class and learned even more about his strange fate as a Signer, and realized what was really demanded of him. She knew too that having a god having a conversation with him when he was least expecting it would be hard to get used to. Aki slowly pulled her mind away from Yusei's, looking at him again. He was silent and when he opened his eyes he just looked down at the floor.

Tears starting rolling down her face more. How horrible it must be for him to hear what had really happened, and how it was connected to them. She had come to the same conclusion as him, that it had been the Dark Signers and their work that had done it, which meant that all of this was connected somehow to their war. She reached over again and pulled him into another hug, not sure what else to do. How could words express what she truly wanted to say to him?

“I'm sorry,” was all she could manage, quietly and into his ear.

Yusei didn't try to pull away, and just sat there for a while. He couldn't deny though that the load on his shoulders suddenly felt much lighter. It was so much easier, knowing that Aki understood what was really going on and that she knew exactly why he was so freaked out and so scared. He felt a lot calmer now though, knowing that he was alone with all of this.

“We'll just take it a step at a time,” she said. Then she looked over at the dragons, who looked confused and worried. “We'll explain later you two.”

“Thanks Aki,” Yusei said quietly. Then he stood and pulled away from her. “Come on, Kenny and Natalie are waiting. And go wash your face.” A smile touched his face as he repeated her phrase to him from this morning. “You look terrible.”

Aki paused at his teasing. It was...way more normal than she ever remembered. But she couldn't help but think about how much she liked to see him smiling. She was glad to have helped, and yeah, she wanted to be his friend. She liked him, though sometimes she couldn't stand him. Maybe they had just met, but she'd read his mind and because of the Crimson Dragon she felt like she'd known him for years. Besides he was handsome and...no she need to stop thinking like that!

A small blush touched her face, and to hide it she quickly stood. She gently pushed him out of the way as she walked to the bathroom and grabbed a face towel to wash her face with. She gave him a teasing glance in return and shut the door louder than was necessary in his face. Yusei just smiled a bit in return. He walked over to the sliding door and opened it, peering out at Kenny and Natalie, who jumped in surprise to notice him coming out of that door.

“Give her a second,” he said. “She's gotta wash up. She's coming right out though.”

“Oh,” Natalie said nervously. “O-Okay.”

Yusei shut the door again and leaned back against the wall. Star leaned up against it beside him and began purring to him gently. He knew that she wanted to know what had worried him so much, and that he'd need to tell her later. But right now she was glad to see that he had calmed down for now, and she had always been very patient when it came to him and other humans. He gave her a small smile, and she beamed at him in return.

As long as Yusei was smiling, Star felt like she could take on the world. Though she got the feeling that she might just have to before long.

* * *

 

Jesse and Zane had a lunch break right now, and generally they always had lunch off campus. So it made the perfect excuse to slip away, back to the Order of Shade. They made sure the whole way (several times in fact) that they weren't being followed to their new location. Sure then that no one had seemed to think anything of it, they made their way inside. They were quickly greeted by several members, but they both had information for Hakase that they needed to give him.

Jesse's was mostly about the strange marks that Yusei had, and his reactions to those. Zane's was more about Yusei's odd behavior today, and Aki's as well. Neither of them really knew much of what to think about the whole thing. However they knew that they had to give Hakase these updates. It was only day one, and it appeared that his son was much more involved in several things than they even knew themselves. Soon they reached the main lab, and found Hakase working away as usual.

It wasn't the same kind of lab that he was used to. But he was devoted to his work as usual. He had to figure out what was going on, and some way to help his son. He paused when he looked up and saw Jesse and Zane coming towards him with such serious faces, and he felt his heart leap in fear at the thought of all the things that could have happened. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he nodded to the others in the room. Soon the whole room was emptied of everyone but these three men and Cyber and Glisten, and the doors were closed. The only sound that could be heard was the gentle whirring of machinery in the background.

“Hakase,” Zane began. “There is definitely something odd going on around your son.”

“What do you mean?” Hakase asked.

“Well,” Zane continued. “He's definitely very observant. He's also incredibly bright, evident by his performance today during class. However his dragon isn't one I'd ever heard of. Her name is apparently Star, and he introduced her to me as a Stardust Dragon.”

“Stardust Dragon?” Hakase asked. Zane nodded and reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. He unfolded it and handed it to Hakase, and it was a nearly perfect sketch of what Star really looked like in her dragon form. Hakase's eyes widened.

“The picture doesn't really do that beautiful creature justice,” Zane continued. “She's silver with blue markings, and her eyes are yellow. Also, when she opens her wings it looks like Starlight is falling from them. She's roughly the same size as Blaze, Jack Atlas' Dragon Partner, the Red Dragon Archfiend. She's also about the size of Aki Izayoi's Dragon Partner Thorn, the Black Rose Dragon.”

“All three Dragons we've never heard of before,” Hakase said, the wheels in his head turning. “Why are there so many appearing now of all times? What's different?”

“I'm not sure,” Zane said, crossing his arms. “However in class today he showed some odd behavior.”

Hakase looked up again at Zane, and Jesse looked as well. They hadn't seen him this serious in a long time. It was obvious that he had seen something for concern, because he didn't bring up meaningless topics in discussion, ever. Zane just wasn't the type of person to do so. He was more of a machine himself. Cyber behind him also crossed his arms and nodded his head to the two other men. Hakase nodded for Zane to continue.

“We were testing to see how well a rider would do with another rider's dragon, and if they knew how to release a dragon's breath,” Zane said. “While I know this is very dangerous, I needed to test something as well. Yusei's partner was Aki Izayoi.”

“She hates people doesn't she?” Jesse asked in surprise.

“She does,” Zane replied. “However during the planning phase, I noticed that nearly on a switch they began getting along oddly well. Before they did so they both jumped and looked at one another. I doubt they even realize they did so. I noticed too that Jack Atlas did the same, and he was no where near them.”

“That is odd,” Hakase agreed.

“It got stranger,” Zane continued. “While they were in the air, the two pairs worked with perfect precision to their plan. It was if they'd known each other for their whole lives, and I know that they never met before. Yusei was raised in the Satellite and Aki is the daughter of Governor Izayoi here in New Domino City. What's more is that Yusei was almost knocked off of Thorn at one point. However before anyone could move to catch him, he forced himself to correct and fall the other way, right into Thorn's waiting talon. It was like he suddenly knew everything that dragon was going to do. No one, and I mean NO ONE learns about any dragon that fast, not even their own.”

A silence seemed to fall between the whole group. The story was just getting stranger and stranger, and Jesse knew that his information was only going to begin making this mystery grow. However he also knew that if they were going to be able to help the boy, then they needed as much information as they could get, no matter what it took.

“Oh believe me,” Jesse said. “This day's been even weirder than that. The first thing I suppose I should tell you is that apparently, Yusei was attacked.”

Hakase and Zane both deadpanned at the news and their eyes went wide. At Duel Academy? What on earth had happened? Was he alright? There were so many questions going on through their heads that he wasn't sure what to do. Hakase found anger boiling up inside of him, but he pushed it down. He couldn't let it cloud his judgment. He couldn't help his son like that.

“What happened?” Hakase asked.

“I'm not too sure,” Jesse replied honestly. “He wouldn't tell me. However we do know that it was a Psychic attack, and its not the first that's been made on him Hakase. One of the members of Arcadia tried to possess him, only Yubel was faster. This person also mentioned something about a purple mark, so I think it's safe we assume it was Roman.”

“Yubel possessed him?” Zane asked. “That could have gotten messy.”

“Apparently not,” Jesse replied. “Hakase your son is far more perceptive than I thought. I called Jaden about it. Yusei has the ability to see and talk to both Yami and Yubel when they're not possessing someone or switching places. I think we can all agree, that this is not a normal ability. Even Yugi and Jaden don't have this ability.”

The other two men had to agree. It certainly wasn't normal. But it also didn't offer any explanation at all as to how this was possible. Jesse however obviously wasn't done, so they turned to him expectantly. Jesse was one to tell everything as it was.

“It got stranger,” Jesse continued. “I had to take him to the Hospital Wing. Though the injuries weren't severe. He'll have to wear the sling longer and add some more medication, but its nothing like the scars. Hakase, that Shadow Being that attacked your son tried to shred him. It's not something I'd really want to see again.”

Hakase didn't want to imagine the scars that his son probably had now, and he didn't want to think about how much it probably hurt the boy. However he knew too that Jesse obviously had something more to tell him. He steeled himself for whatever was next.

“Continue,” Hakase said. Jesse nodded. He understood how hard this was for the man.

“It was during this time that I saw something else,” Jesse replied. “I noticed that Yusei kept grabbing at his right forearm, which is something that Roman used to do as well. However when the boy's shirt came off for the check up I saw a mark on his arm.” There was silence at the impact of these words. Jesse looked up and met Hakase's eyes. “It was a red mark, shaped like a dragon's head. Exactly the same as Roman's.”

“How is that possible?” Zane breathed, his eyes wide in confusion. Hakase said nothing.

“I thought it was strange too,” Jesse continued. “I noticed that at one point, this mark glowed red, much like the purple marks we saw. Also however there was a second mark. This one was on his back, and in fact covered most of it. This mark was also crimson, and it glowed too at one point. Its shape however is what caught my eye. It was the mark of the dragon that sits on the floor of Dragon's Hollow.”

“That relief?” Zane asked in surprise. “I thought that thing didn't mean anything. They found in Peru didn't they?”

“Yes,” Jesse said, nodding. “I tried asking Yusei about it, but he wouldn't tell me. It was the first time I'd ever seen him look conflicted about anything. It was as if something was fighting with his instincts. I also didn't feel fear, like when I saw the purple marks. When I saw the red marks, I felt calm.”

Hakase's eyes narrowed as he thought back, nearly sixteen years ago, to the Zero Reverse. That had been such a long time ago, and the memories were blending together in odd ways. But he could still remember the red mark that Jesse had described on Roman's arm. He had been a kind person then. But then one day the purple mark had appeared. He'd begun acting strange and then cut off the arm with the red mark. Roman had begun to grow cruel and calculated the Zero Reverse. It was still as much of a mystery as it was then.

“Roman was kind while he still had the red mark,” Hakase noted. “So I think its safe to assume that these red marks of Yusei's aren't dangerous, not really. It was the purple mark that made Roman become cruel. And it was one of these people with the purple marks that attacked us. I think Yusei might also be able to use a magic similar to the one we saw the boy with the purple mark use, one in need of no incantations, seeing how they seem to glow in the same way. I think its also safe to assume that there's more than one of these red marks. I just don't know how this is possible though.”

“It makes sense,” Zane added thoughtfully. “Especially if the full creature looks like the relief of the dragon on the floor. Yusei only has the head, which means there are also other parts that make up the full creature. I don't know how many marks that would be, but we should be on the lookout for others with strange marks and changes in behavior.”

“There is something else,” Jesse said, gaining their attention again. “I...I told Yusei what really happened during the Zero Reverse. Just from the information he was given, he pieced together himself that Roman isn't dead, and that he's targeting him for some reason. However when I mentioned the purple mark, he grabbed at his right forearm again. It was, as far as I could tell, that it was an instinctive fear, one not unlike the fear of animals that sense storms coming. This also made me think though, that something else is controlling these marks.”

“I see,” Hakase said. “It makes sense. Why would these marks be able to move if something wasn't casting the magic to give and take away these marks? Why would they be so hidden until now, when others are appearing? And why would they seem to give off such strong warnings and hints that someone shouldn't be able to come up with on their own? Something has to be controlling them.”

“Which might also mean that these marks might react when near others,” Zane added. “I can't pretend to know how they work. However I think that each mark has its meaning and place, and each one is put on a person with certain characteristics. Jesse, did you notice anything else?”

They looked to the man with serious eyes. Out of all of them, Jesse was the youngest, with only Jaden being younger than him. While he was an adult now, during his own time helping with Jaden in his war, he'd been controlled by Yubel quite often when Jaden went missing. He hardly felt like he'd done much to help, considering it hadn't been him that had noticed any of these things. However he was more than glad to be of help now.

“Yes,” Jesse replied. “After we left the Hospital Wing, I took Yusei to my class, seeing how it was next on his schedule. During class however, the subject eventually came to the resting places of the gods.”

“Right,” Hakase said. “Didn't some of our contractors from the Spirit Realm mention that one of these was acting up?”

“They did,” Jesse replied. “Since I'm taking my students into this realm next time we meet in class, I warned them against going near it. However at my description of the place, Yusei seemed to recognize it. Like he's already seen it. He also seemed strangely familiar with the concept of Anchors for the gods. While I'm fully aware from Jaden that Yusei is a studious boy and might have previously read up on this subject, it doesn't explain how he knew what this place looked like. Also I did notice something else. The magic said to come from this place appears to be crimson in color, just like the marks on Yusei's arm and back.”

“There was also that odd feeling this morning, just before sunrise,” Zane added. “I couldn't explain it, it just felt like something weird had happened, something big. I heard students mentioning the same thing, so it wasn't just me. Are you thinking that this being that is switching these red marks around and warning Yusei, along with all the other strange things happening, is a god?” Jesse nodded.

“And not just any,” Jesse replied. “This area in the Spirit Realm has long ago forgotten its history, and the name of the god that used this resting place. However legend says that if this god awakens, calamity will follow, and something will be unleashed from the earth.”

A silence fell over the three men and the two Duel Spirits present. What were they supposed to say after all? Something odd was definitely going on, and it surrounded Yusei Fudo. And probably others as well. However even with this knowledge, they felt like they were just spinning in circles. They'd found out a lot, but it certainly didn't seem like enough at all. They hardly understood what was going on, but they did understand that Yusei knew more than he was letting on, and seemed unable to tell them what this was, like some instinctive fear.

“From the Earth huh?” Hakase suddenly asked. He pulled out his tablet and opened the internet quickly. “Where did you say they found that relief of the dragon in Dragon's Hollow? The one that is also on Yusei's back?”

“Peru wasn't it?” Jesse asked. Zane nodded as Hakase began inputting something into the search engine.

“It was,” Zane replied. “It seems like our strange god is most likely a dragon, if those marks are anything to go off of. It also might explain why there are suddenly more dragons at the school than ever, and why there are so many dragons no one's ever heard of before. Dragons are said to be able to sense such things after all.”

Hakase however wasn't listening. He felt like he was missing something, something important. He needed to check, and the only thing he could think of was to go through a website about Peru. He began scrolling through the page on its history, through the pyramid like structures and everything that had been found there. The dragon relief was mentioned to have been found in a temple that was nearly completely leveled and very few artifacts had been found from here. But he paused as something else caught his eye.

_This strange marking appears to be close in design to the Nazca Lines, which also are here in Peru. They may have been used in the same kind of worship or have some other significance to the sign._

Hakase felt his heart skip a beat as he read that. The Nazca Lines? A flag went off in his head, and he knew that he had to check that out too. He quickly opened the page about the Nazca lines. He read through it quickly, pausing as he reached this passage:

_Locals warn of great beasts that are said to have been sealed here within the Earth by a powerful god during a war of gods thousands of years ago. It's believed that if these creatures escaped calamity would follow, however this appears to be mere myth as no magical traces have been found at the sites._

Hakase's reaction to this quickly gained the attention of the other four in the room, and they turned to look at him curiously. Hakase carefully scrolled down through the pictures. They certainly seemed to look to be in a similar design to the relief in Dragon's Hollow. However as he neared the end of the list of pictures and what they represent he felt his heart hammer in fear, and he nearly dropped his tablet as he stared at a symbol that still haunted his dreams.

“H-Hakase?” Jesse asked.

“What's wrong?” Zane asked, his voice unnerved. Zane had never seen Hakase lose his cool like this before.

“Zane,” Hakase said in a strange voice. “What else is in Peru?” There was a long moment of silence as Jesse and Zane looked at each other.

“The Nazca Lines?” Jesse guessed.

“Yes,” Hakase said. “Now what does this one look like?”

Hakase held up his tablet so that Jesse and Zane could see. Jesse had never seen the mark before, so he couldn't have told them what it was. However it was obvious by the way that Hakase had reacted, and the way that Zane paled, that the other two did. Cyber hissed and began to bristle. Glisten took a surprised step back. She'd never seen Cyber so angry about anything.

“That's the-” Zane gasped. Hakase nodded.

“The mark on Roman's left arm,” the man said. “The purple mark of the spider that also appeared just before the reactor's meltdown began.”

A heavy silence fell upon the full impact of these words. It was as if all the air had left the room. Jesse understood Yusei's fear of the purple marks, or he was beginning to. If those marks had that kind of power, then what did those red marks hold? What were they connected to? Hakase growled, a low noise that made him sound more dangerous than Jesse had ever heard before.

“You're right Jesse,” Hakase said. “These marks belong to gods. And apparently a lot of them. These are the Nazca Lines, which are believed by the locals to be gods that were sealed into the Earth by a single powerful god thousands of years ago, during a war they fought.”

“Then than means-” Jesse gasped.

“Yes,” Hakase growled. “This war, whatever it was, has come all the way from Peru to New Domino City. I think this dragon is the god that sealed them away.”

“If it awakens,” Zane said quietly. “Calamity will follow. This dragon god is awakening, and the others are escaping. Another war has come to this city, and it's been waging for longer than we thought.”

Hakase felt his hand grip tighter to the tablet as he continued to bristle. If this was the work of gods, then he might not have any power to help his son. No, he'd be damned if he didn't have the power. He wasn't going to lose Yusei to Roman like he lost Yoko. He was going to do anything he could to protect him. But that didn't mean he wasn't scared.

 _Yes,_ Hakase thought, _a war of gods has come again to our city. And my son's right in the middle of it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh that was a long chapter! Oh well, it had way too much important information to skim down. Besides, we got to see Hakase again, and we got to see Aki and Yusei have a little a bit of a cute moment. They're going to be a couple soon. ;)  
> Anyway, lets just think of this really long chapter as an apology for the extra long hiatus between chapters 15 and 16. I hope this makes up for it. Also I hinted at Zexal/Zeal and Arc V in there.


	19. Element of Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go with chapter 19. Wow, this story's almost already hit 20 chapters! This is probably the longest story I've ever written, and its by far one of my most popular. I have to admit though that it's really fun to write.  
> Anyway, we'll go right back to Yusei and the others. This chapter will mostly be a more light hearted one where all of the Signers we know of so far will meet up and get to talk a bit. That should be fun right?   
> Then as an added treat, we'll switch point of views at one point to another character that I know most of you are just dying to know about. ;)

“All right,” Aki said with a slight growl. “If we're going to go lets go.”

Natalie and Kenny, along with Frostbite and Spite looked like they wished they could disappear into the ground. They were trying their hardest to be nice to her, but they seemed to be struggling. Yusei couldn't exactly blame them, seeing how Aki always seemed to want to push everyone away. But they were certainly trying their hardest. Thorn and Star turned into their dragon forms and jumped up next to Spite and Frostbite on the railing to prepare for the flight.

Aki leaped up onto Thorn's offered foot and proceeded to ignore them as thoroughly as possible. Yusei sighed, rubbing his now sore shoulder as he pulled himself up into Star's offered hand. He got the feeling that this was going to be a long day, and that it just wasn't going to end anytime soon. Natalie and Kenny had soon mounted their own dragons, and all four took to the skies. The platforms around Dragon's Hollow buckled and raised again under their weight, showing no signs of stress as usual and giving them a nice push to get into the air. Yusei couldn't help but feel a little awed by the usefulness of the design again.

Before they got far though, Thorn suddenly turned and faced the other two. Star stopped a good distance away to keep their wings from slamming painfully into each other as they fought to find wind currents to stay in the air as they faced each other. Luckily they were high enough off the ground that no one below had to worry much about the massive spiked tail that was hanging down. Frostbite and Spite had to fight a bit to stay in the air, obviously having a hard time staying in the air around two dragons so much bigger than them. However they quickly recovered and soon all four dragons were hanging in the air, steadily flapping in a leisurely manner to stay airborne. Yusei couldn't really blame either dragon. They were about the same age as Thorn and Star, but neither of them had been around dragons that were much bigger than them. Trying to adjust to flying around something that large had to be a bit of a leap.

“All right,” Aki called over the wind that was whistling slightly into their ears. “Where are we going to go for lunch? There are several places around campus with good food.” Kenny and Natalie were quiet for a while, hoping to not make her suddenly angry again. She was in a much better mood than they had ever seen her.

“Well,” Kenny at last ventured. “We could always go to Dragons Diner outside of the East Commons. Its large enough that Star and Thorn could easily fit on the veranda surrounding it, and probably a few more dragons their size.” Yusei looked up in surprise.

“There's a place that big?” he asked. Kenny nodded.

“You wouldn't see it from the tour,” the boy explained. “and its close to one of the cliff walls that cuts the Duel Academy off from the city. Dragons and their Partners love to go there, though anyone is allowed inside. Its just a favorite spot for dragons and any tourists below in the city because they can see the dragons take flight from there.”

Yusei nodded his understanding. The truth was, the entire huge campus of Duel Academy actually sat about one thousand feet, and more in some places, above the rest of New Domino City. The entire academy was surrounded by sheer drops (and fences to keep students from wandering off the edge). Just to drive here, Yugi had driven straight up a nearly seventy five degree angle road to reach the front gates of the Academy. When someone said Duel Academy was a city within a city, they truly meant that it was its own city.

While most of the buildings rose a lot higher than even the tallest building in the academy, even being so far down below it, the truth was the Academy was far off the ground level of New Domino City. However with changes in technology and the magic that had always existed in the air around the city, the buildings rose much higher without the negative side effects, and Duel Academy sat like the crowning jewel in the center of the city, but isolated from it. Hearing about a restaurant on the side of a cliff didn't really surprise him, and having a Dragon for a partner, it didn't scare him either.

“Sounds fine,” Aki said, looking away and still seeming to refuse to allow herself to give them any indication whether or not she enjoyed their company or hated their guts. She glanced towards Yusei and looked away again silently.

“We'll lead the way,” Natalie offered, patting the Curse of Dragon's head that she was perched on.

The awkward silence continued, but no one said anything to discourage her, so she and Spite turned to lead everyone away towards the cliff where the actual restaurant where they had discussed eating at for lunch (mostly out of courtesy to Yusei since it was his first day). The other three dragons turned and followed her as they made their way over the students below. Many people would stop and point up at the dragons following their leisurely pace towards the cliff side. Though dragons weren't that uncommon around the school itself, people were always in awe to see them fly over, especially ones like Thorn and Star.

The dragons and their riders however ignored the gasps and oohs from below as they made their way towards the restaurant so they could eat lunch, and as Yusei hoped, actually relax for once. He was way too confused and was hoping to get a chance to act like a normal kid for once, instead of one that the fate of the entire world would be resting upon shortly. Something in the pit of his stomach though told him that he wasn't going to get that chance.

They passed beyond the East commons below and set a straight course for the nearest cliff wall that surrounded the entire Academy, and within minutes under the protective wings of the dragons they had reached a tall building. It seemed to sway a little in the breeze, but not in a way that they found scary or distressing. Besides, being on the backs of dragons constantly meant that they weren't afraid of much, if at all. The four dragons decided to land on a balcony (which were a lot like those of the Dragon's Hollow) that was down about halfway. Yusei noticed an elevator going up from somewhere far below, where people obviously not from the school were disembarking to eat at the large restaurant. Yusei slid carefully out of Star's hand as the others also leaped off their dragons.

Nearly instantly a waitress had rushed over with a huge smile on her face. She didn't appear to have a Partner, or at least not one where they could see it. She paused for a while to admire all four of the newly landed dragons before turning to the students.

“A table for four?” she asked. Aki nodded. “Alright, please come right this way.”

She lead the group over to the table, where Natalie and Kenny instantly slid into the one side of the booth table. It was obvious that neither one of them wanted to sit next to Aki. Aki didn't seem to take offense at this and slid in before Yusei could protest, making sure that she was once again as far away from his injured arm as possible, which was now facing the aisle. Somewhat awkwardly Yusei sat down and glanced around at everyone else. Once drinks were ordered only silence reigned at the table. The dragons were left on the balcony where they were also served food perfectly dragon sized (which made Yusei wonder where they kept it all).

Yusei sighed as he looked up at the other occupants of the table. Kenny and Natalie were pointedly looking everywhere except right at Aki, and she was staring (glaring would be more accurate) at the table in front of them. Yusei laid his uninjured arm on the table in front of them and turned to regard all of them.

“All right,” he said. “Enough with all the silence. You guys could at least try and talk a little. Jeez, people in the Satellite are more cheerful than this.”

At the mention of the Satellite Natalie winced as if she had just been slapped in the face. Kenny looked away from Yusei quickly and looked very fascinated by the table that Aki had just been staring at. Aki on the other hand looked up at Yusei and met his eyes. Yusei was a little surprised by their reactions to the simple sentence. He hadn't realized that they were so touchy around the subject. The two across the table looked almost guilty at the mere mention of it. However there was curiosity on Aki's eyes. She wanted to know more about him, and the life he had led before. But what could she ask? What did she dare not ask?

“What was it like,” Aki asked, making Kenny and Natalie stare at her in surprise. “there in the Satellite?” Yusei paused, considering how to answer. He didn't really see a point in hiding anything after all.

“It was definitely a lot different,” he said with a shrug. “For one, we don't have a lot of money. A lot of times we just share everything. We're working pretty much twenty four seven.”

“You don't get a break?” Natalie gasped.

“We do,” Yusei replied. “We work about six hour shifts at the factory, but the factory never shuts down, and if someone can't go in we have to be ready to fill in their places. We didn't have a lot of free time. It was mostly work and then helping others who needed it.”

“That's horrible,” Kenny said. “Isn't the Satellite supposed to be a hub of crime?”

“It was worse before,” Yusei replied. “You couldn't go out at night and you could only trust the people you'd known your entire life or proved without a doubt they could be trustworthy. I suppose I can understand though. If you were trapped in one way of life forever, seeing a brighter future across the ocean but never able to reach it, wouldn't you act up? Maybe you'd be noticed by someone then. If you could never leave, wouldn't you want to be seen?”

“So that's why you joined Team Satisfaction?” Aki asked. Yusei nodded.

“Pretty much,” he replied. “There were only four of us, but we wanted to make the Satellite a better place to live. We didn't care about fame or anything like that. We just wanted it to be where people could smile again. After that we all just went our separate ways, some farther than others, though it seems like they're crossing again.”

“It sounds rough,” Natalie said sadly.

Yusei looked up again, noticing that they were all looking at him pityingly. He wasn't sure how to take that. When he had lived in the Satellite it has seemed like everyone from the city had hated them. Yet now they looked like they'd rather sink into their chairs and disappear than make him remember it. Despite himself, Yusei felt himself smile as he looked up towards Star again, who was playfully nudging Blizzard over.

“Not really,” he replied. “You see, I never found the Satellite ugly or desolate. From the outside it must have seemed that way, but it wasn't from where we were. I always found it beautiful. Yes, maybe life there was hard, but the people made that place beautiful. They were always willing to help one another. We didn't have a lot, and that made us share what we did have. It was a simple life, but it wasn't unhappy. And the family we made there is one that will last forever.”

The other three at the table all paused as they looked up in surprise at Yusei. He wasn't looking at them, seemingly lost in his thoughts, but the gentle smile had yet to leave his face. They found that they all liked to see Yusei's face a lot more when he was smiling, and they couldn't help but smile a little too. Yusei truly was a wonderful person, able to see the best in every situation, even living in a place like the Satellite for most of his young life.

Aki found herself feeling stronger suddenly. If Yusei could find beauty in a life like that, then why couldn't she break through the mask of the Black Rose Witch? She glanced over at Kenny and Natalie, who had yet to see her looking at them. She looked down, wondering what she was supposed to say. At last though she sighed and crossed her arms.

“Hey,” she said quietly, making everyone look curiously. “Kenny, Natalie, I said some pretty bad stuff to both of you earlier. I'm sorry, I guess. Maybe we should try starting over.” The other three blinked at her, but Yusei's smile widened.

“Sure,” Kenny said kind of awkwardly. “No problem.” Natalie elbowed him in the side but smiled.

“I know I'd like that,” she said. “Maybe its time we all started over.”

“Yeah,” Kenny said with a wince, rubbing his smarting side. “I mean, if a kid from the Satellite can forgive us, we can too right? Oh no offense Yusei.”

“Don't worry,” Yusei said. “I don't take any.”

The drinks were now brought to them and they all placed an order. Natalie seemed to forget her shyness and started trying to make conversation at the table. She seemed to be mostly failing but wasn't going to give up apparently. Eventually she got Aki involved (kind of) in a conversation about different flowers, and Aki seemed very interested in plants. Yusei supposed that it did fit. He knew that Thorn was a Plant Type dragon, and she probably used plant magic.

Yusei turned away and let his mind slip away from the conversation for a minute. Talking about the Satellite had brought up memories again of Crow and Kiryu. He missed both of them terribly, but he couldn't help but think of all the things that had happened. He knew he wasn't ever going to see Kiryu again, but it still hurt that he'd had to betray him for betraying them. He knew too that it was highly unlikely that he was ever going to see Crow again either.

Crow would probably be lonely, maybe even feel betrayed, knowing that his two brothers (the older being Jack and the younger being Yusei) had left him for the City. Yusei expected him to feel hurt. When the others had left him all alone Yusei had felt lonely, and maybe even a little hurt. He couldn't help but hope that Crow would stay out of trouble though.

Yusei jumped a little in surprise as he felt someone tugging on the bottom of his jacket. He looked down but relaxed when he saw the smiling face of Leo peering up at him. He'd almost forgotten that Luna and Leo went to school here as well. Luna on the other hand was walking from where they'd left Monarch and Quake under Star's wings, shaking her head but smiling a little as well. Yusei turned to face Leo as he bounced up and down, peering over the table at the surprised faces of Aki, Kenny and Natalie.

“Hey Leo,” Yusei said with a small smile.

“Yusei I found you,” he said, grinning from ear to ear.

“Yeah,” Luna sighed as she walked up behind him. “It's not like we see him several times a week and go to the same school or anything.”

“Shut up Luna,” Leo said, frowning. This made Aki and Natalie start giggling.

“Anyway,” Luna said, rolling her eyes. “Are you settling in Yusei? Its got to be a long trip here from the Satellite.” Luna was rather grown up for her age, obvious by the way she was talking to Yusei now.

“Yeah I am,” Yusei replied. “Are you two going to be eating here too?”

“Can we join you?” Leo asked, practically bouncing up and down. Yusei glanced around the table, but no one had any objections.

“Sure,” Yusei replied.

Leo practically bounced over to a table to begin to move it over, but he was too small to do so. He began looking around for a waiter or waitress to help him, when another familiar face walked in. Jack blinked as he saw the boy trying to move the table and sighed, quickly seeing where he was trying to reposition it to. Jack moved the table over and waved at the others all sitting at the table.

“Just can't get away from the twins,” Jack said. “can you Yusei?”

“Oh Jack,” Natalie said, jumping a little in surprise. “A-Are you going to eat here as well?”

“I was,” Jack said, crossing his arms. He never was that good with people, however even Aki had no scathing remark for him now. Jack's eyebrow raised when he saw this.

“Why don't you sit with us too?” Yusei asked, knowing that Jack wanted to, but wasn't going to ask about it. Jack just nodded.

Their table of four soon became crowded as the seating was rearranged. Natalie looked like she was going to melt out of her chair if someone as popular as Jack sat next to her, so he sat next to Yusei on his injured side. The twins sat across the table next to her instead, and an awkward silence fell again. Yusei glanced up and noticed Blaze greeting Star and Thorn warmly. He couldn't help but sigh. The dragons got along fine it seemed, so why couldn't they?

The silence continued after the three newcomers placed their drink and food orders, leaving the waitress to bustle off again, smiling happily the whole time. Of course, their uniforms were drawing attention from people from the city, and it seemed that Aki, Natalie and Kenny were busy glancing around at the other people in the building. Luna and Leo shared and glance and then stared at Yusei, who just sighed again. Jack on the other hand raised his eyebrow as he looked around the table. He crossed his arms.

“Well,” he said, making Aki, Natalie and Kenny all jump. “I think you all know that I'm not usually one to start conversation. But this is getting out of hand. Why is everyone so quiet?”

“U-Um,” Kenny said, seeing how Natalie looked ready to disappear, which would be impressive indeed considering the color of her face at the moment. “Well we asked Yusei about the Satellite. Could you uh...tell us about your childhood?”

Jack blinked a little, surprised. His facial expression didn't really look that different from its usual one, but Yusei could tell that he was surprised. Jack suddenly frowned and reached over, throwing his arm over Yusei's shoulders and pulling him into a gentle headlock. He ruffled his hair a little, getting an indignant yelp from Yusei, who was now looking both annoyed and amused at the same time. The others didn't seem to know what to make of it.

“What were you talking about, eh?” Jack asked. “Well, there's not much to tell. There was a woman, a nurse from the City, who took three orphans in. That was me, Yusei here, and Crow Hogan. The three of us are like brothers really, though Crow really does annoy me. We were raised together, and we made up three of the four members of Team Satisfaction.”

“Really?” Aki asked as she watched Yusei trying to pull Jack's arm away with only one hand and failing miserably. “I know Yusei uses Wind Magic, and you use Fire Magic. What magic did Crow use?”

“Dark Magic,” Jack replied, giving Yusei a small smile as he watched his younger brother failing to pull away and growing more annoyed. He definitely wasn't going to hurt Yusei, but he had missed him, and missed picking on him. “Strange kid really, Crow. He liked the dark a lot, which I think couldn't help but make him the perfect thief.”

“Thief?” Kenny asked in some confusion.

“He's a kleptomaniac,” Jack explained. “There's no therapy for it in the Satellite, so he's just been getting worse. He's honest though, and he usually gives back what he stole if you ask for it. In fact he usually just steals to give things to the children and make them happy, so no one's really hard on him about it. He's been arrested several times. In fact his face kind of looks like a kid took a crayon to it. But even the police are easy on him.”

The other five at the table all blinked and looked up at Jack and Yusei. They seemed almost like complete opposites a lot of times. And it seemed like their other brother, Crow, was just as strange as they were. However the more they looked at them, the more they saw brothers, not just friends. Yusei had been right in saying this kind of family was forever. It put a smile on their faces, and Leo even gave Luna a quick hug when no one else was watching.

“Yeah well,” Yusei said, annoyed. “You say that Crow is strange for liking the dark, but you seem fascinated with fire.”

“And you are always fascinated with the wind,” Jack countered.

“Huh?” Leo asked. “Kind of like Luna. She likes the light and the stars. She uses Light magic”

“And you like rocks,” Luna said, rolling her eyes. “Which isn't weird since you use Earth magic at all.”

“Wait what?” Natalie asked, looking around the table. They all paused and looked at her. “Isn't that a little strange?”

“Now that you mention it,” Kenny noted, thinking quietly. “Yusei uses Wind Magic, Jack Fire...and Crow apparently uses Dark Magic. Then the twins have Earth and Light...and Aki uses Plant Magic and likes plants.”

“Yeah,” Natalie agreed. “Aren't those the six original elements?”

The words hit Yusei like a punch in the stomach, and he froze instantly. The original elements? Didn't the Crimson Dragon have to do with the Original six elements? And there were six Signers...did that mean that Crow was also a Signer, as well as Luna and Leo? The Crimson Dragon had said that he'd already met all of the other Signers.

Aki, who knew what was going on more than the others glanced nervously at Yusei, also making the connection silently. Luna and Leo turned to look at Yusei in surprise and concern, not liking the way that his face had suddenly paled. Jack paused as he looked down at Yusei as well. He felt himself grow worried suddenly for the boy.

Jack had always been a good older brother (though Crow had never admitted it) and he knew that kind of face. It was the same Yusei had made before Kiryu had betrayed them, the face that said he knew something, and he was scared. Jack released Yusei and slowly pushed his uninjured shoulder until he was sitting up. Yusei jumped and looked at Jack with wide eyes, but Jack's gave him no room to wriggle out of this one. He was going to tell him.

Suddenly Yusei saw the Crimson Dragon's eyes flash in his mind, and his eyes widened. His arm suddenly gave a sharp pang, and he quickly reached for it, screwing his eyes shut in an attempt to block out the pain. It continued to throb mercilessly. He finally forced himself to look up and noticed that Aki, Luna, Leo, and Jack had all done the same.

He felt a frown touch his face. Right. The Crimson Dragon had mentioned that the marks would call to each other like this, and that it would be painful. However, knowing that they had all reached for their right forearms had made him realize that he was right. They were all Signers. Now he just needed to talk to Luna and Leo and let them know they weren't alone.

Luckily the opportunity suddenly arose when Natalie jumped up, running off towards Spite. Apparently Spite and Frostbite had suddenly gotten into a spat over some food. The other five dragons weren't reacting to this however, and were staring at their Partners with concern. Natalie and Kenny leaped up to run over and try and stop them from tearing each other up, or anyone else who came too near them. Yusei quickly seized the chance. While it wouldn't be uncommon for two unfamiliar dragons to fight like this, Yusei couldn't help but think the Crimson Dragon was somehow behind it.

“M-My arm,” he managed.

The others all jumped up and looked in surprise. Yusei had pulled his arm out of the sling, which greatly concerned Jack suddenly. He pulled up the sleeve to his jacket, revealing the lightly glowing mark of the dragon's head. Suddenly realizing what he was doing, Aki quickly gasped and pulled up her own jacket sleeve, revealing the back claw. Jack pulled up his own sleeve to show the dragon's wings. Luna followed suit, showing them the front claw. Leo was the last, revealing the dragon's heart, which in the full picture was clutched in the front claw.

“You guys have the weird marks too?” Leo gasped, though he had lowered his voice uncharacteristically.

“How long have you had them?” Yusei asked.

“I don't know,” Luna said, confused. “I think...after I made my Contract with Monarch.”

Yusei met Aki's eyes met for a moment. They both knew more about this than the others. Jack quickly glanced up at Natalie and Kenny, confirming that they were still busy with their dragons. He then leaned in closer to the table and looked around at all of them, quickly hiding his mark again. He lowered his voice enough that they had to strain to hear them.

“Listen,” he said. “Hide those again. I don't know why but...we can't let anyone know. Got it?” the others all nodded, except Luna who looked ready to cry.

“I'm scared,” she said. “I don't understand.”

“It's alright,” Jack soothed as best as he could. “We'll look after you alright? Just trust me.”

After a long moment Luna nodded they all pulled their sleeves back down to cover their arms and Yusei carefully slid his arm back into its sling. However it would be hard to miss that something had happened. Luna was shaking and now clinging to Leo. Aki looked ready to bolt then and there with wide eyes, and Jack was scowling more than usual and really jumpy. Even Yusei had paled and was staring suddenly at the table.

“Sorry guys,” Kenny said as he came over. “Spite and Frostbite started acting weird suddenly. They usually don't...what's wrong?”

Yusei glanced up to see that Kenny and Natalie were now looking at all of them with concerned eyes. Slowly the other four all looked up and turned to look at the two of them. Kenny and Natalie glanced at one another, but it was clear that they were now very concerned but weren't sure what they wanted to say. They didn't want to freak them out even more.

“Food's here,” the waitress called happily.

Yusei had never been more glad to see a plate of lasagna in his life.

* * *

 

A sixteen year old boy who was shorter than average slumped back against the dusty couch with a sigh. How long had he been gone from here? At least six months he was pretty sure. It was the longest sentence he'd gotten yet, but it was also his biggest steal. The police had let him off with a strong warning, as always, but he'd still managed to swipe the keys to one of the squad car when they weren't looking.

He held the keys up in front of his face, frowning a little as he looked at them. Usually he didn't feel guilty about stealing, but he did for some reason. Maybe he was just lonely? He'd just found out that Yusei had ended up in the City with Jack, and he couldn't help but feel alone. He quickly shook out of it though and smiled, tossing the keys onto the table. Of all of them, Yusei deserved a better life. And Crow Hogan couldn't be happier for his younger brother.

Crow let out a contented sigh as he leaned back farther against the couch, sending another puff of dust into the air. He had orange hair which was spiked up and held up by blue headband that had two metal rings hanging off of it. He was paler than most people, and he was definitely under average height for his age. His eyes were a steely gray, full of mischievousness but still kindness. He also wore earrings with bolts hanging off of them.

As Jack had explained by saying a “kid took a crayon to his face”, Crow's face was covered in yellow prison marks, each on marking that he had gone to prison. The newest mark was a dot on the top of his forehead, on the right side. Beside that just slightly lower was an “M” shaped mark. The marks on his cheeks were mirrored. There were two lines zig zagging down his face, and two triangles that his eyes appeared to overlap. Each mark had a different code in it and the sentence he'd been given. They hurt, but he wasn't complaining. He wore each one proudly like a badge. Maybe he was a kleptomaniac, but those same marks had made him feared through the entire Satellite by thugs who were making people's lives miserable when he had joined Team Satisfaction.

The dot smarted again, and he winced, reaching towards it. He smiled though as he did. He knew that if Jack saw the newest addition he'd be yelling at him and telling him to grow up and stop acting like a child. Yusei on the other hand would just hold out his hand, knowing that Crow would hand over the last thing he'd stolen.

They were a problematic family, but they were definitely his brothers. He wouldn't have traded them for the world. He was glad they'd both made it to the City. They'd have better lives then. He couldn't help but be concerned for Yusei though, wondering if he was hurt badly.

“Looks like the Team's broken up for good guys,” Crow said with a smile. “Take the City by storm for me, will ya?”

He knew there was no way that they could hear him, but he felt like he needed to say it anyway. Suddenly there was a loud pop and Crow jumped up in surprise as the air got colder. He turned and sighed though when he noticed it was his Pet, a Duel Monster who had made a contract with him and came and went as it pleased, often keeping him company. It was a Blackwing – Buzzard the Far North. It was a mostly icy white/light blue bird with black on its head and wing tips. It was usually accompanied by a blast of icy wind.

Crow had several contracts with Duel Monsters, mostly because he'd been forced to make them to be able to survive prison. While most inmates weren't all bad, you couldn't be too careful. So he already had several contracts, though he'd never met his Partner as of yet. He reached forward with a smile to pet the Buzzard, but she squawked and starting beating her wings in his face.

He'd never seen her act that way, and he jumped in surprise. He managed to reach past her wings and grab her, holding her to his chest. She only squirmed more as he did though, despite his attempts to soothe her. She continued to squawk loudly, though he petted her soothingly.

“Whoa girl,” Crow said, concerned. “What's wrong Frost?”

“ _Crow it's coming,_ ” she squawked at him. “ _You have to run!_ ”

“Wait what?” he asked, confused. “What's coming? Tell me why you're upset.”

“ _When I was coming to visit you,_ ” Frost said suddenly. “ _I saw something else trying to find you! Its from the Shadow Realm!_ ”

Crow felt himself grow a little scared suddenly. Something from the Shadow Realm? He didn't know why something like that would even be looking for him, but it couldn't be good. Frost was his good friend, and he knew she wasn't one to lie. Besides, the path to the human realm from both the Spirit and Shadow Realms often crossed in places, so it was entirely possible that she had seen something else. Before Crow could decide what he was going to do though, a voice purred to him out of the darkness, making Frost squawk and his scalp prickle.

“ _I found you human,_ ”

Crow whirled around with a gasp as he found himself face to face with a creature unlike any he had ever seen. It was a Duel Spirit from the Shadow Realm, of that he was sure. It appeared to be a female, and it was a plant like creature. He didn't know how he could hear her talking, but he suspected it was because something was different in the Shadow Realm that allowed this.

She had long hair that was made of tree branches, and she had a bandage covering her eyes. Her skin was brown and became bark in places, and only a thin covering of leaves hid her small chest from view. A long skirt of leaves that was slit over one of her legs covered her below. She wore no shoes, and bandages covered her arms. All of the bandages appeared to be covered in what he suspected was blood, and she had long ears that nearly touched the floor at the points behind her. She giggled at him.

“ _Don't look so scared,_ ” she said. “ _I'm only here to capture you. That's all._ ” Crow found he wasn't really in the mood to be captured.

“ _She followed me,_ ” Frost cried in terror. Then she slipped out of Crow's arms and attacked the Shadow Spirit with her talons. “ _Run Crow!_ ”

The Shadow Spirit didn't even bat an eye and swatted her away, making the tiny spirit crash into the ground. Crow gasped as he turned to run to her. The Shadow Spirit reached out and grabbed his throat before he'd moved a step though. He gasped for air and grabbed her arm, trying to pull it away. He was unsuccessful though. Again the creature giggled at him.

“ _Now don't be like that,_ ” she said. “ _I'm not going to kill you. I just have to make sure that you never find the others, or your Partner._ ”

Others? Crow had no idea what she was talking about. And how could she know about his Partner before even he did? He couldn't ask these questions though as he was far too busy trying to remember how to breathe. He wasn't doing a very good job though, seeing how she was nearly crushing his windpipe.

Frost quickly leaped up again to help him, scratching the Shadow Spirit with her talons and beating her with her wings. She also however began making a sound Crow had never heard her make before, a high pitched, almost screaming like sound. He'd never known she'd been able to make that sound, and she didn't stop. The plant like creature hissed and tried to swat Frost away again.

“ _Damn bird,_ ” she roared. “ _Do I have to kill you to make you leave me alone?_ ”

Crow felt fear sparking in his chest suddenly. He had to think of something. He couldn't let this thing kill his friend, but he couldn't cast spells now that he couldn't talk. His head was starting to swim from lack of oxygen, but he was trying to force himself to stay awake. He couldn't let her kill his friend, but he was pretty much helpless in this state.

Suddenly Frost's screaming stopped and she wheeled away suddenly, making the shadow spirit hiss after her. Crow was confused and didn't know why she had been doing that in the first place. But to his surprise he felt a strong arm wrap around his torso, and a hand clamped down hard on the shadow spirit's wrist. Darkness seemed to spark down it, making the plant like creature release Crow's throat and leap back howling.

Crow felt both arms wrap around him as he was pulled away from the shadow spirit's grasp. He coughed and gasped for air, closing his eyes so his head would stop spinning. The creature holding him made a low growling noise, one that sounded very familiar. He felt Frost land on his shoulder and coo at him gently, but the other creature didn't let him go. After a long while his breathing evened out and he opened his eyes.

The first thing he noticed was that the shadow spirit looked furious and was bristling angrily, but watching warily. Then he noticed the arms wrapped over his chest, holding him in a standing position even after he found his feet. They were well muscled, and it brown arms were under black armor. He looked over his shoulder in surprise at the Blackwing Armor Master.

It was a tall creature with apparently a brown body, well muscled, but covered in black armor. It had wings, which were raised aggressively. Its chest and wings had orange lines running through it, and its mask had a red gem in it. The rest of its body was covered in black armor and it had what appeared to be part of tail feathers hanging from the back of it. His name was Lancelot, and he'd been a good friend of Crow's for a long time.

What surprised Crow about seeing him was that it usually took synchro summoning him, which required using the energy of other monsters he had. However he had just appeared. He supposed that's what Frost had been doing. She had called Lancelot with that scream. It had been a distress call for Crow, one that had been strong enough to summon him. Lancelot didn't even glance at Crow, glaring instead at the creature that had attacked him. He didn't usually speak, but he didn't need words now. Crow had never seen him so furious.

Frost nudged her face into the side of Crow's as if soothingly. He couldn't reach up to pat her because Lancelot's arms were in the way and he had yet to release him. Crow could feel her trembling a little bit as she did, but she seemed to calm down a little bit. Crow couldn't help but feel a little calmer as well now. He felt his racing heartbeat calm a little. A sudden hiss though made Crow look up again nervously at his attacker.

“ _Another Duel Spirit?_ ” she hissed. “ _It doesn't matter! I won't let you interfere!_ ”

Lancelot snarled and stepped forward, shoving Crow away so that the boy had to stumble away. He recovered and turned to look in surprise as he saw Lancelot's arms being grabbed by the shadow spirit's hair. More dark magic was sparking up her branch like hair, making her hiss again and begin to retreat as he watched. It was going to be hard battle.

Frost took to the air again and launched at the Shadow Spirit too, squawking as she did so. Crow paused, trapped in indecision. He didn't want his friends to get hurt because of him, but he didn't exactly want to stay here and get himself captured by whatever the heck this thing was. However as Frost saw him hesitate, she made up his mind for him.

“ _Go Crow,_ ” she cried. “ _We'll hold her off! Get some where safe now!_ ”

If there was one thing Crow was, it was loyal. He knew his friends would just get hurt if he didn't get out of here, so he turned instantly and ran as fast as he could out of his house and onto the street. Luckily this part of the Satellite was largely uninhabited. He spotted the same officers from before, the ones he had swiped the keys from. He ran right past them, ignoring their questions as they did so. He knew they'd only get concerned, knowing that he usually wouldn't do so.

There was a loud bang behind him, making the officers gasp in surprise, and they turned to no doubt see the strange battle unfolding on their streets. There was another hiss and the sound of something slithering across the ground. He heard the two female officers scream, and he couldn't help but turn to look.

The shadow spirit was not happy. She'd caught Lancelot and Frost both in thick plant growth that she'd spawned from the ground. They were utterly trapped and struggling desperately to help their friend. The officers too had been caught in the mess of branches and vines, but they weren't nearly so entangled since she hadn't been aiming at them. The shadow spirit hissed and leaped at him, reaching for him as she did so. He clinched his fist.

“ _I won't let you get away,_ ” she hissed.

The sound of the duel spirits and the officers calling his name in alarm in fear was something that he clearly heard in that moment. But now that he was free from her grasp he wasn't going to let her catch him again. He glared at her, a fierce gaze that made her hesitate for an instant. That gave him the time he needed to cast a spell.

“All concealing darkness of night,” he cried. “shadows that hide all, give me the ability to slink away from my foes. Thief's Shroud!”

Crow's body melted suddenly and melded with the shadows around him, giving him the ability to slip away in the shadows that surrounded him, becoming little more than a flitting shape across the ground. The shadow spirit gave out an angry cry and leaped after him, losing him though as she tried to follow. However there weren't many places to go. Crow was no faster and couldn't climb up walls, so he could only travel by the street. He knew though that it would give him a head start until he could think of something else.

After a few minutes the spell became too taxing, and he ended it. He leaped up out of the ground and bent over for a few seconds to catch his breath. He was already breathing like he'd been running a mile, but that was the farthest he'd managed to keep the Thief's Shroud on before he had been forced to drop it. He knew he didn't have much time, but right now he wasn't going anywhere.

He managed to catch his breath, but heard the furious cry of the shadow spirit somewhere behind him. He gritted his teeth and turned to survey his surroundings. He had gone farther up through the rubble than he had meant to. He was reaching what was known as rogue's corner, a portion of the Satellite where the rooftops were easily accessible and offered thieves and thugs the ability to evade the cops. However against his foe he doubted it would give him much of an advantage.

He leaped forward anyway and climbed up the nearest slab of stone, quickly gaining the rooftops and the maze of walls that had once been taller portions of the buildings. He couldn't go back, so he'd have to try his luck here. He could hear her gaining on him quickly, so he leaped through the labyrinth that he'd memorized long ago.

Branches spouted out of the rooftop ahead of him suddenly, making him gasp and quickly dash in a different direction to avoid the branches which were already reaching for him. He tried to correct his course, only to have more branches cut him off. With a snarl he realized she was trying to herd him towards the edge of the roof, where he'd be stuck. However he couldn't change course no matter how hard he tried, getting cut off each time. He couldn't use spells right now either, since he'd used too much magic on Thief's Shroud. He'd have to recharge his magic now.

He reached the edge of the roof, and one of the branches reached for him again. He managed to slip just past it, but lost his footing on the edge. As he started to fall forwards he could see that she had already laid out a net of branches to catch him when he fell, and he heard her annoying giggling again. However a hand wrapped around his wrist, stopping his fall.

Surprised, Crow turned to look over his shoulder and paused. He was looking at a girl, only he'd never seen one dressed like her. Her chest was covered in a covering made completely of what appeared to be black feathers. She also wore a skirt made of the same feathers, though there were dark brown leggings beneath it. She didn't wear shoes, and she had black feathers forming a tiara on her head. She had long black hair that hung nearly to the floor behind her, contrasting her bright red eyes. On her right arm was a tattoo of red wings.

Crow blinked at her as she looked at him in surprise. She looked human, but he realized she wasn't nearly instantly by the speed of how she reacted to the next attack. Another branch reached for Crow again, determined to grab him, but the strange girl pulled him quickly out of the way. Crow yelped in surprise at this. He'd never met this Duel Spirit before, but the way her eyes narrowed at the shadow spirit made him think that she knew something he didn't.

Though she was a thin girl, she grabbed Crow suddenly and lifted him up onto her shoulder. He yelped in surprise and indignation at this. It was rather embarrassing to be carried this way, but she ignored him and leaped quickly onwards away from the Shadow Spirit, carrying him away quickly. He tried unsuccessfully to pull away, but she continued to ignore him.

The angered Shadow Spirit gave a hiss and continued to chase after them. However each time she reached out for the two of them with her branch like hair a dark force field seemed to repel her. Crow realized with a start that the girl was casting defensive spells. He had no idea where the strange girl was taking him, but he turned to look at her as well as he could.

“H-Hey,” he cried. “You crazy amazon! Put me down!”

She glanced at him but continued to ignore his pleas. She then turned suddenly and ran towards a huge gap. Surprised and honestly kind of afraid Crow's eyes widened as they neared it. But she didn't break stride and had soon leaped across the gap and continued running. The roar of rage behind them told Crow even before he had looked that the shadow spirit would have a much harder time following than he had.

The girl ran for a while longer, then suddenly halted. She dropped Crow onto his butt unceremoniously and turned to look behind herself, scanning the area for any signs of the shadow spirit. Crow winced as he stood and looked up at her. She was taller than him, and he noticed this with irritation. He was absolutely embarrassed to have been carried around like that, but he couldn't deny that he was glad to not have gotten himself captured by that thing.

“Uh,” he said, making her turn her fierce eyes back to him. They reminded him suddenly of a falcon's. “thanks I guess. Don't carry me around like that again though.” She stared at him with an unblinking gaze for a long moment, then nodded her head in a quick jerking motion like a bird would.

Crow rubbed the back of his head, unsure what he was supposed to do with her. He'd never met her before, and he knew that many Duel Spirits were very shy. However she didn't seem to want to leave him by himself either. She seemed to not like this shadow spirit very much, whatever was really going on. He supposed that he couldn't just have a normal day.

He'd come home to find out that the kids had moved away from here to a safer area of the Satellite (which he was honestly kind of happy about) and that his younger brother had left to go to the City and join his older brother. Now he'd ran into two spirits he couldn't name, one that wanted to capture him, and one that seemed to want to keep that from happening.

She was, he decided, rather bird like. Crow supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. Every other Duel Spirit that had ever seemed to take an interest in him had basically been a bunch of birds, more specifically those falling in the “Blackwing” family. However he didn't have very long to worry about it as he heard the sound of the furious scream of the now approaching shadow spirit.

The girl turned and grabbed Crow's wrist, getting a surprised yelp from the boy as she turned and ran on again, dragging him after her. Crow was hard pressed to follow, seeing how quick she was even in her human form, but he did suppose it was better than getting carried around. He managed to find his feet beneath him and ran after her, casting a glance over his shoulder as he did so.

The furious beast was gaining on them, determined that this time he wasn't going to slip out of her grasp. Crow turned his eyes forward again and concentrated on trying to outrun her for now. He couldn't let himself over think the situation. Isn't that what Yusei had told him to do? It was a lot harder than he had made it sound though, and his mind was already trying to come up with multiple plans of escape. This is why he had always let Yusei worry about things like plans. He was horrible at them! Crow's face set into a scowl reminiscent of Jack's favorite face.

They quickly reached a point where they could go any farther, basically just the edge of a roof where even this girl couldn't manage to jump to in her human form. She whirled around and started growling at the approaching Shadow Spirit, a sound that made Crow's scalp prickle. It still sounded almost birdlike, but it was deep and menacing as well. She was something else, something he'd never really come across before. However she shoved him behind her and stepped forward, snarling and bristling the whole time.

“ _You just keep calling more and more Duel Spirits,_ ” the creature hissed. “ _How annoying! Maybe I should kill them after I capture you. That'll teach you to defy me! Some friend you are, making them fight for you and then running away._ ”

Crow snarled a little. He didn't want her to hurt his friends, but he wasn't sure what he could exactly do at this point to keep her from attacking them. He wasn't nearly strong enough after that last spell to use his full power, but he couldn't just give up either. He raised his hands in front of his chest to cast a spell, aiming for the offending spirit.

“Shadows that pierce the veil of light,” he cried, surprising both duel spirits. “give me the strength to pierce my enemies! Shadow Sniper!”

With his hands still outstretched the shadows at their feet seemed to lengthen. From one of the shadows, something fast and small shot upwards at the shadow spirit, striking her hard. She screamed in agony as blood (which looked like brown tree sap) poured from the wound on her shoulder. He hit her again, knowing that it wasn't going to do much more than distract her. However she snarled and raised her own hand.

The thick weeds, which seemed to be the only plant life that could thrive in the Satellite, quickly split the concrete beneath his feet and grew up towards him, wrapping around his wrists and legs, quickly trapping him. He gasped and lost his concentration, ending his spell prematurely as the plant life wrapped tighter around his arms and legs. He winced and tried to pull away, only seeming to make them wrap around him tighter.

“Crap,” he mumbled.

The strange duel spirit was already in motion though. She cast her own spell, aiming for the plants at his feet. Whatever it was collided hard with the ground, making the plants suddenly start to whither and die as darkness sparked up them. With the plants weakened he managed to pull away. The girl grabbed him and pulled him away from the whole where the plants had grown from, and he didn't even complain, surprised as he was.

 _Was that,_ he thought to himself in surprise. _Dark Magic?_

He couldn't help but be surprised, seeing how it was rare for people to just encounter such obviously powerful duel spirits who used the same kind of magic that they did. He shook out of his confusion though, reminding himself that this wasn't the time. The girl was growling louder at the shadow spirit now, making an even more unnerving sound than before. He just bristled as well as he looked at her. He needed to concentrate for now, and think of a way out of this situation. Even so, a nervous smile touched his lips.

“Why is it always me that gets stuck in messes like this?” he asked no one in particular.

There was no answer, but there didn't have to be. The stranger raised her hands again and began casting another spell this time the shadows she summoned seemed to reach up out of the ground and start smashing into the shadow spirit. Enraged however, she wasn't going to just ignore their attacks. She started counter attacking with her own plants, throwing leaves that cut deeply into the girl's arm. She didn't wince however and didn't let up, determined to defeat this thing.

Crow knew that he couldn't just sit by. Maybe he didn't know this duel spirit, but for all he knew, his friends and those officers hadn't been able to escape her trap. He didn't know if she still had control over those plants that were so far away, but he wasn't going to let her keep hurting his friends. He raised his hands again, his eyes narrowing as he watched.

“Darkness that we came from and all must return,” he said quietly to not alert the creature to his spell. “that hides all from the harsh light. Blind my enemies so their attacks fall useless before me! Blinding Shadows!”

The attack hit her head on, and the shadow spirit screamed as she reached for her face. There was nothing psychically wrong with her, but she couldn't see anymore. This was obvious from the fact that her attack clearly missed the girl she had been aiming for and she got hit with an attack that had been used in retaliation. She wasn't done yet though, and snarled suddenly and raised her hand Crow's direction.

He didn't have long to wonder what she was doing though as he felt a thick branch wrap around his right leg, trapping it successfully. He let out a startled cry as he noticed it, losing his concentration once again and losing control of his own spell. As soon as he had and she could see again, she summoned more of the branches, which pinned his arms to his side and grabbed his other leg. Crow shuddered in pain against the violent attack, silently cursing himself. How could he have been so stupid as to not notice? And how was she able to predict all of his attacks?

The girl instantly turned and ran to try and help, but the shadow spirit wasn't having any of that and quickly trapped her too. Crow glared at the shadow spirit, but there wasn't anything much else that he could do at the moment. The trapped girl started growling louder than before, hissing and spitting a little not unlike a cat. The shadow spirit wasn't disturbed by this in the slightest though and snarled, walking over to face the two of them.

“ _You're far too much trouble for your own good,_ ” the shadow spirit hissed. “ _Just sit there until I take us back._ ”

Devoid of any other option, Crow just continued to glare at her angrily. He did not want to be kidnapped for apparently some reason he didn't understand. A roar of rage though quickly made them all look up. It was Lancelot, who was now more injured than before but furious at the shadow spirit. He leaped forward to attack her again, determined to protect his friend from her attack.

Crow couldn't help but be a little surprised. He'd never seen him so absolutely wrathful before. He didn't see Frost anywhere, and couldn't help but worry about both her and Lancelot. He didn't want them to get anymore hurt because of him.

The shadow spirit though was once again forced to forget about her prey and turn to fight him. The captured girl suddenly started struggling again, managing to free one of her arms enough to reach towards Crow. He was confused but didn't try to stop her as her hand managed to brush his right one. She gave him a mischievous smile.

Crow yelped as he felt his right forearm suddenly give a painful pang. He'd never felt anything like it before, and he was unsure of it. However as he screwed his eyes shut against the pain, he felt his energy suddenly drop. Then there was a roar.

It was an unnerving sound, somewhere between a bird and a monster, and it echoed loudly and powerfully through the air. He felt something soft bump up against his side, and the branches were cut away from him, dropping him heavily to the floor. The soft thing brushed over his back, as he landed hard on his stomach, and something _snicked_ heavily into the concrete in front of him. Startled, Crow opened his eyes and could only stare at the creature he was now seeing.

It was something he'd never even seen or had known existed, and he honestly wasn't sure what to call it. But it was obviously the girl from before. He knew she was a duel spirit and he couldn't see her anywhere near. Enraged, she let out another roar, which stopped the battle of the two other spirits. They could only turn and stare at her.

She was obviously a dragon, though a strange one. Most of her body was covered in black feathers, which is the soft thing he had felt brush up against him. Her underbelly though had dark gray scales that formed armor. She had three sets of huge metallic like legs, one of which had been dropped in front of him protectively. It looked like a thick blade and just as sharp.

Where her body ended, more lack feathers formed a plumb and three long steel gray tail feathers trailed out behind her. She was taller from her waist than the back of her body was (not counting the tail feathers). A mane of black feathers surrounded her neck and the top of her head, though some red feathers framed her face. Her eyes were a bright red and her mouth was a bird's beak with sharp teeth in it, and a downwards spiraling hook curved from the sides of her beak.

She had no arms, and where her shoulders met her wings (which stuck out from the sides of her) there was some black armor and a red gem set on either side of her chest. The wings that stuck out from her chest were huge and created a strange fan around her, arching over her back at the top, with a break that seemed to arch towards her belly at the bottom. Most of her wings were made of steel gray lines, but black lines ran through them as well. Crow couldn't help but blink in surprise up at her.

“Whoa,” was all he managed.

“ _The dragon's found me already?_ ” the shadow spirit asked nervously.

Even Lancelot didn't seem to know what to make of the huge dragon, whose beak was about twice as long as Crow's entire body. She wasn't an enormous dragon by any means, but she was definitely one of the biggest Crow had ever seen. She did not look happy about the Shadow Spirit being here, but she didn't move either, content with growling lowly at her so long as she stayed over there. Crow realized suddenly that she was giving her a clear warning to stay away from him.

Now he was even more confused. He'd never met her before today, so why was she so determined to protect him? Crow decided though he didn't want to test her patience and remained laying silently under her chest and leg without moving.

The dragon snapped her beak at the shadow spirit, who snarled and turned to face her, obviously offended at something she had said. Lancelot quickly dashed away to the side, but the shadow spirit didn't move. Her wings changed colors suddenly, the gray becoming black and the black lines becoming a red that seemed to glow in the dark black. Her beak opened, and then a dark beam shot out of her mouth and struck the shadow spirit hard.

It was like a wave of pure dark energy, and the shadow spirit got hit by it hard. She screamed and fled quickly rather than face the wrath of the dragon. The strange dragon snapped her beak again and her wings returned to their normal steel gray and black color. Crow blinked at her as she stepped back and looked down at him. Slowly he stood and turned to face her. What was she? And why was she here? He didn't have any answers.

Slowly and carefully Lancelot approached, watching the obviously fierce female dragon closely. She clicked her beak a few times, but even Crow got the feeling that it wasn't in a threatening way. Assured that she was calm now, Lancelot quickly returned to his friend and spun him around, looking him up and down for injuries. He seemed alright, and the Blackwing Armor Master finally relaxed and let out a sigh.

“Where's Frost?” Crow asked worriedly.

“ _Home,_ ” Lancelot replied, making Crow sigh in relief. “ _She was pretty badly hurt, but she'll recover soon enough. We're both just glad you're safe._ ”

The creature reached up and ruffled Crow's hair gently, which made Crow smile sadly at him. Blackwing Armor Master and his other friends had always been there for him and had kept him safe for a long time. He knew that they would all be there in an instant if he called. He was a little saddened to see that they had gotten hurt because of him, but he also knew none of them would relax until they all knew he was safe.

“Sorry to make you fight for me like that,” Crow said.

“ _Don't be,_ ” the creature replied. “ _You're our friend._ ”

Crow just smiled again. He truly was grateful to have such good friends, and he hoped that wherever they were, that his brothers had some good friends that had their backs too. The dragon behind him suddenly began to purr, and Crow looked up in surprise. Her wings had relaxed a little, and her unblinking eyes were staring at him now. She clicked her beak as she continued to purr at him, and he got the feeling she approved of both of them.

She turned her eyes to Lancelot, who looked up at her in surprise as she looked at him. Crow knew they were talking, mostly because of how attentive Lancelot was being and how he just couldn't hear her voice anyway. He waited for a while, confused but silent, knowing that whatever she was saying would be shared to him from Lancelot anyway. At last, the armored man turned his confused gaze down to Crow.

“ _She said her name is Feather,_ ” he said. “ _And she called herself a Black-Winged Dragon._ ”

“Black-Winged Dragon?” Crow asked in surprise. “I've never heard of one like that...come to think of it...I've never seen one like this either...”

As Crow was thinking, the dragon behind him disappeared, replaced by Feather's human form. She ran up suddenly and grabbed Crow's right arm, latching onto it and continuing to purr at him as she smiled rather happily. Lancelot jumped a bit and seemed unsure if he liked her around his friend or not, but Crow just stared at her with wide eyes. What was he supposed to do now? Not only were there lots of strange things happening, but he had a dragon attached to his arm and not willing to let go anytime soon. He wasn't too freaked about it. She'd just saved him after all. But he couldn't help but be unsure of her.

First Yusei and then this...actually thinking of Yusei...hadn't he run into a strange dragon too? Jack had as well, because they had never heard of Blaze's kind either. He suddenly got the feeling that Yusei's strange dragon Partner (odd that they were partners so soon too...) was one they'd never heard of. Then there was Feather here. Why was she so oddly attached to him suddenly? He sighed.

“I just can't have a normal day, can I?” he groaned.

He could hear the familiar sound of police sirens down below, but he felt relieved to hear them. At least that was something familiar to him. He looked up and spotted Liam and Theresa running towards him, looking confused but rather relieved to find him alright. He just blinked, clearly showing the confusion he felt on his face.

“Crow are you alright?” Liam gasped for air as he paused near them.

“Y-Yeah I am,” he replied.

“What did that thing want?” Theresa asked, nervously surveying the area in case she came back.

“I don't know,” Crow replied. “Something about some 'others' and my Partner...” he glanced over at Feather. “You can let go now.” She shook her head and he sighed. “You're by far the strangest Duel Spirit I've ever met! Are all dragons this weird?”

Feather just continued to purr, and Crow just frowned at her. However Theresa and Liam stared at one another, their jaws falling open. Another dragon? They could tell that Crow didn't know this Duel Spirit, but she was clinging to his arm as if she worried he'd run off. They'd seen Star do the same thing with Yusei before, in an eerily similar incident.

Both couldn't help but frown as they watched the two. Something was definitely going on, they were sure of it now. There were three separate and strangely similar events of this same thing happening, and these three boys were not only all connected with each other, but also with the mysterious Zero Reverse. Jack and Yusei hadn't been the only ones with parents working on the project. Crow's parents had been working there as well (something the three brothers and most of the Satellite knew) though he had been at home at the time.

It actually wasn't that uncommon to trace many orphan's families back to those working on the project. It had been a huge undertaking and even bigger project. While Atlas and Fudo were obviously more well known names around the explosion itself, if you were to say the name Hogan to someone who had survived the explosion they would instantly recognize it. It belonged to one of Mr. Fudo's secretaries and her husband, both with flaming orange hair (which Crow had obviously inherited from them). The two officers looked at the boy closely.

Something about this whole thing made their skin crawl. There was something else at work here that wasn't natural. Something had caused that explosion, and something else had made these boys targets by evil creatures from the Shadow Realm. That left many questions, but one especially in particular that they wanted the answer to:

Why were the very faces of the Zero Reverse still unable to escape its curse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I changed quite a few things in this, especially Crow's back story. Oh well. I thought it would be kind of fun. It also connects our three brothers even more closely to the Zero Reverse than they had originally been.   
> What did you guys think of Feather? I think I changed around some personalities too here and there....oops. Anyway, that's your first peak at Crow and him finally making his way into the story itself. Fun right?  
> Jeez this was a long chapter! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to leave a review below if you'd like, and tell me how you think I did with this one.


	20. Light Behind Your Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER 20! It's a miracle guys! We finally made it!   
> Anyway, we're back to Yusei and friends. I'm going straight to the end of the day (where Yusei has been explaining everything that happened) and all the insanity that comes after that. There are going to be quite a few characters appearing the next couple of chapters (including two you might or might not have expected).  
> I don't know if you noticed, but I changed the cover picture of the story to a picture with Crow, Feather, Yusei, Star, Jack and Blaze in it. I thought it was more appropriate because of the fact that they're the “Faces of the Zero Reverse” and that is such a huge part of the storyline. Besides, we need our brothers to have center stage, as always.  
> Anyway, enjoy and feel free to leave a review below.

Yusei was glad that Professor Rhodes hadn't made him participate in P.E today (somehow dodge ball and his injured arm just didn't sound like they'd mix). He was also glad that he hadn't been forced to change into the uniform for the class since he was just sitting on the sidelines. He still felt self conscious about the scars on his shoulder.

Though he had to admit that it was kind of boring to sit there and watch. Star had kept him company though (because the game had involved the Duel Spirits as well in different ways). He couldn't help but be amazed a little at the way that Professor Rhodes was able to get them involved as well.

Now Yusei had returned to his room and sank down onto the bed. The events of the day had finally hit him, and it suddenly seemed like it had been a lot longer than it really had been. He let out a sigh as Star quickly ran to get his medicine and brought it to him with a glass of water. He took it without complaint as she curled up next to his injured side again, purring the whole time.

Yusei glanced at Star, knowing that he'd been keeping secrets from her and feeling bad about it. She had been patient with him today, and she had taken his silence all in stride. She was looking at him in a concerned way, but still purring gently to him. Yusei let out a sad sigh as he placed the water down on the table next to him and turned to look at her.

“Sorry,” he said quietly.

“ _What for?_ ” she asked with some confusion.

“For keeping secrets today,” he said. “I know you probably hate it. We're supposed to be partners.” Star purred again and laid her hand gently on his injured shoulder.

“ _We are Partners Yusei,_ ” she said gently. “ _And I understand. You've been so worked up today...I'm just worried as all. If its going to make you freak out like that again...well then I don't want to know. If you don't want to talk about it, that's alright._ ”

Yusei blinked and turned to look at her, but she was looking sadly down at his injured arm. He knew Star was just worried about him and didn't want him to get any more hurt than he already was. However he suspected that they both knew that wasn't going to work that way. Was he going to freak out? No, he knew that he wouldn't. He'd feel better for getting it off of his chest. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. He knew he could trust Star.

“No,” he said. “I...I need to tell you. Not just because we're Partners...but because...” he cut off and looked down. Star laid her hand on the mark on his check, making him look up as she did so. He gave her a small smile, feeling himself calming again.

“ _I understand,_ ” she said. “ _And I'm here to listen._ ”

Yusei gave her an apologetic smile and began his tale. He didn't leave anything out this time and he explained. He didn't want to make her think he was hiding anything, and besides she would need to know, seeing how she was part of this whole mess. Star watched him carefully with her amber eyes as she waited for him to finish. After Yusei had recounted the long events of the day, starting with the dream all the way to his realization about the marks at the table and Crow, he fell silent and simply stared at the wall that separated him from a mentally exhausted Aki.

“ _That certainly does seem confusing,_ ” Star said comfortingly. “ _And you say that you can hear the Crimson Dragon?_ ” Yusei nodded.

“Yeah,” he said. “He talks to me often inside my head. Since I'm his Anchor we're connected strongly, past even the divisions of the realms.” He shuddered a little. “It's kind of unnerving actually...” Star gently took Yusei's left hand in both of hers.

“ _Well we'll be here to help you,_ ” she said gently. “ _Me and all of your friends. So don't be afraid to fly._ ”

Yusei blinked at her a little. She had just accepted everything he had said, as if it was the only explanation. Then again, she had also seen the Crimson Dragon before, so it probably was the only one for her. He knew she was right though. He wasn't alone, and he needed to remember that. Maybe he was supposed to lead the Signers, and that wasn't a comforting thought, but he knew that if his friends were behind him he could do anything. That's always how it had been, even in the Satellite. He smiled at her, a relieved and thankful smile.

“Thanks Star,” he said quietly. “You're right.”

The dragon began to purr again to him quietly and curled up against his side again. Yusei felt himself suddenly relax more than he had all day. Yes, there were still a lot of questions that he couldn't answer and didn't know where to start looking for those answers for. But he knew he wasn't alone. Aki knew what he did (as probably Thorn as well). Star now knew, and he knew that Jack, Luna, and Leo would soon be told the same things by the Crimson Dragon soon enough.

He wasn't sure what was going to happen next, but he wasn't as scared. He was mentally exhausted by the events of the day, letting out a small sigh. The Crimson Dragon's eyes flashed suddenly in his mind, and his arm gave a pang. It was painful, but it was also strangely comforting. He felt his fear and worry melting away, knowing that he was safe under the wings of the great crimson god. He heard the creature start purring in his head softly.

“ _ **You have done well,**_ ” the dragon assured him. “ _ **And I know this is a lot to take in. You are exhausted. Sleep now, Yusei Fudo. There is no danger to you here.**_ ”

Yusei did in fact feel very safe. Star was here, and he knew he could trust her. And the Crimson Dragon was here as well in a way, ever watchful. He felt suddenly a lot more tired than he remembered being in quite a long time. Silently he just leaned over into Star, who paused but started purring again. The sound of both dragons purring to him quickly lulled Yusei into sleep. Star smiled a little as she carefully laid him down on the bed and threw the covers over him. The boy didn't stir.

* * *

 

Yugi couldn't help but pace the ground a little as he waited. It seemed like things were getting out of hand, and pretty fast. Yusei had apparently been attacked at Duel Academy, one of the safest places on earth! He couldn't help but suspect the servants of the Earthbound Immortals, as the gods had told Yami. He couldn't help but think of the mark the boy had on his arm. Yugi knew that something was going on, but he had little idea as to what. And that meant that he had little idea how to protect his student. It had only been a day for goodness sake!

The silent pharaoh stood just to his left, watching the man pace back and forth on the floor. He understood his unease though, and even he couldn't help but wonder how many times the world would be thrown into chaos before the period of warring would end. He also couldn't help but worry about Yusei. Maybe he was a sixteen year old boy, but he still seemed far too young. Yami knew that all of the world's saviors had been around that age before as well, but it didn't sit well with him. Yusei, as were all of them, far too young and inexperienced.

But somehow the job of saving the world had once again fallen squarely upon his shoulders. Yami found himself thinking of the boy's parents suddenly, and Jack's as well. What would they do if they could see the danger their baby was in now? He felt driven again to try and help the boy in whatever way he could. He couldn't help but feel though, that he might mess up this time. Yami didn't think Jaden and his friends could stand to lose Yusei again. It was all the tie they had to their past lives, when everything had looked so bright.

As Merlin entered the room and gave his Partner a worried stare though, even Yami had to admit that it looked like that bright future was all but gone. He doubted Yusei or Jack could ever really see a bright future, not after living in the Satellite like they had. Then again, neither him or Yugi had ever tried to breach the subject at all. They were almost afraid to find out what citizens of the Satellite really thought of those in the City.

Merlin slowly walked over to Yugi and laid a hand on his shoulder, making the man jump a little in surprise as he was brought suddenly out of his thoughts. However it was the ever faithful and patient magician that greeted him with a sad smile. Yugi let out a breath he hadn't been aware he had been holding and managed a worried one back.

“Sorry,” he said. “I'm just...worried.”

“ _I understand,_ ” Merlin replied wisely. “ _But your worry won't undo what fate has decided for that boy. We can guide him, but what happens next is out of our hands. Just be patient. Things will become much clearer soon enough._ ”

“You're right,” Yugi sighed. “I just wish I had some more answers.”

“ _ **We can only take it one step at a time,**_ ” Yami said to Yugi. Being comforting was never really something he had been that good at, but he tried. “ _ **I know its not much, but we can't rush things. We both know by now that it never helps anything. Things will happen only when they're meant to happen.**_ ”

Yugi nodded silently, looking at the ghost of the young pharaoh before turning his eyes to the ground thoughtfully again. He was a lot calmer than he had been before though. For whatever it was worth, he was glad to have his friends next to him. They knew the same struggles that he had faced. He knew it was the same with Jaden and his friends, and would be with Yusei and his.

Only together could they truly know the hardships of what had happened. They formed a bond that could not be broken by time. That's what had hurt so much about losing so many friends in the Zero Reverse, but also why they were looking to keep Yusei and Jack safe so much.

The sound of a key in the lock could be heard, and Anzu quickly entered the house with her purse and a tablet in her hand. She closed the door behind her and dropped her keys into her purse, then paused as she looked up. She'd seen that same look on her husband's face before, the kind of worried look that she didn't doubt he'd picked up from Yami. It was such a serious face. Silently she crossed the room and took his hand, guiding him over to the couch. She took both his hands in hers and simply watched him for a long moment.

“Is everything all right with Kaiba?” she asked. Since they had used to be rivals, it was only natural that she ask. The two were good friends now, but sometimes there were still disputes.

“Yes,” he said. “Everything's fine. He and Joey are actually wanting to bring their own students to train here with Yusei tomorrow, sort of a group exercise. I think Jaden's thinking about bringing the twins as well. It might be good for all of them.”

“Then what's wrong?” she asked. “I know that face. You look just like Yami when you look at me like that.”

Yugi didn't answer, and he couldn't help but glance towards Yami as he sat there. He hadn't realized it, but he saw himself nearly perfectly mirrored in the Egyptian's face. The silence continued to carry through the room, and even Merlin seemed unsure what to say or do at the moment. After a few moments, Anzu smiled and tried changing the subject a little. She knew Yugi would tell her eventually if she got him to relax a little.

“Well,” she said with a smile. “I was video chatting with Asura. She's loving her job there at the university, and I heard she's working with Jim Cook now as an archeologist. I think she got her natural curiosity about ancient relics and such from you. She said they're flying in tonight, something about a call from Jesse being urgent.”

“Oh,” Yugi said, torn between glad to hear about his daughter and concern. “We haven't seen them in a while have we? Still...what do you think Jesse could have called Jim about? Jesse usually doesn't want to bother anyone unless it's really important.”

“I know,” Anzu sighed with a shrug. “I hadn't even been aware he had called Jim. But since Jim is coming Asura's going to tag along. He is her teacher after all. They're expecting to be here a while as well.”

Yugi turned his eyes again towards Yami, almost as if on instinct. He knew from the concentrated look on his face, that he was thinking the exact same thing he was. Anzu said nothing as she saw her husband seeming staring off into space. He'd done that a lot, ever since he had first solved the puzzle when they were just kids about Yusei's age. For a long moment there was silence between the two, until at last Yami looked up and met Yugi's eyes.

“ _ **That is rather odd,**_ ” he said. “ _ **I suspect that Jesse has been watching Yusei closer than he's been admitting. Still, we should be grateful for their company. We need as many watchful eyes as we can get on Yusei until we can figure this out, and anyone else who is involved like this in this war.**_ ”

“I agree,” Yugi sighed, getting no surprised responses from anyone who was in the room. They were used to him talking to “no one”.

"So," Anzu said quietly. "It's about Yusei?" Yugi sighed a nodded.

"It is," he admitted. "I can't help it though. I hardly understand what's going on, and things are already happening. It's just so fast..."

"Doesn't it usually seem that way?" she said as comfortingly as she could. "We'll get through it. We always do."

Yugi didn't say anything and just continued to frown. He couldn't help but wonder, what if they didn't get through it this time? There were so many things that could go wrong, and he felt like he was out of the loop in so many ways. Every other eye in the room was now on him as the small man frowned and continued to stare at the ground. The silence stretched on for a long while, and no one seemed sure how to break it.

However Yugi's phone began ringing suddenly, making them all jump. Surprised Yugi reached for it. This was a phone that few people had the number for, his personal phone. Most people could reach him through his main phone, which actually had a secretary to answer it and take numbers since people were always trying to call him, for various purposes. However this phone hardly ever rang, and hardly ever.

He looked down at the caller idea and paused, seeing a name he hadn't seen in a long time displayed. He hadn't even been aware he still HAD a cell phone. This particular person had pretty much dropped off the face of the planet, which was kind of sad since he still was a rather sweet person. Still, he couldn't blame him for wanting to be alone. Some things were better left unsaid, and this particular person had some secrets that needed to be kept.

"Yugi?" Anzu asked. Yugi blinked a little.

"It's Bakura," he said.

The man still preferred to be called by this, even after everything that had happened. He claimed it had never felt right to be called by his first name, like he had changed and could never be the same again. Yugi couldn't blame him. He'd been controlled for a long time by an evil spirit from Ancient Egypt. Even Yugi had no idea what was going on in his head at times. Which is what made the fact that he had called Yugi so surprising. No one said anything as Yugi hit the button to answer and held the phone up to the side of his face.

"Hello?" Yugi asked.

"It's Bakura," a sweet voice said over the other end of the phone. "We need to talk."

"About what?" Yugi couldn't help but ask. "It's not like you to just call me out of the blue like this. Is there something wrong?"

"Yes," Bakura replied with a slight sigh. "However I doubt you've missed it. Rumors of an Ancient God awakening, an ancient war, and dragons all over the place?" Yugi swallowed a bit of a lump in his throat at the thought.

"Ah," he said. "Yes I did notice it. But why are you calling me now?"

"Because Marik and I are on our way to you right now," Bakura replied, accepting Yugi's shocked silence as a response without pausing. "We started our own looking into it, and well, we thought you'd ought to know. I doubt you could keep your nose out of it. We've already arranged to be staying here for a while."

"H-How soon will you be here?" Yugi managed in his surprise.

"A few minutes," came the response. "We're about to enter the elevator now, so probably less. We'll tell you what we know there."

"A-All right," Yugi replied. "We'll be waiting."

"Bye," Bakura said dryly then hung up.

Yugi slowly removed the phone from his ear and slid it back into his pocket. The others all blinked at him, waiting his response. They weren't entirely sure what had happened, though they could guess what was going on from his response to it. Slowly Yugi blinked and then turned his eyes back towards Anzu, Merlin and Yami.

"Bakura and Marik are on their way," he explained. "They're going to be staying here for a while, and they seem to know some more things than I do. I suppose it is only natural...It is Marik's area of expertise. He can find just about anything out about the ancient world."

"When are they going to be here?" Anzu asked.

Before Yugi could attempt to answer there came a knock at the door. Yugi slowly turned to look at it, as if still surprised they'd gotten here that quickly. However no one had to ask anything when they heard it. They should have guessed they'd be here nearly instantly, considering how the two of them actually worked. Yugi quickly went to answer the door.

If Yugi had held up well and still looked largely like a younger man, it was nothing compared to these two. Marik and Bakura were both older than he was, but looked no older than Yusei or Jack. Bakura was the first person he saw, about average height and pale.

His hair was rather poofy and hung down past his shoulders, a bright white color. His eyes were a bright blue color, giving him an odd, almost inhuman appearance. He was wearing jeans, a dark black jacket, and a blue and white striped shirt. His face was oddly serious.

Behind him was a man Yugi hadn't seen in years was standing. He was from Egypt, and probably one of the smartest people he'd ever known considering he'd hardly ever had more than a basic education. Then again, Yusei was technically much the same way. This young man had much darker skin than Bakura or even Yugi, much more like what Yami's was when he wasn't switching places with Yugi to control his body. He wore black eyeliner on his face, perhaps something to remind him of his past, and he wore gold bangles on his upper arms, wrists and neck. He also had a pair of large diamond shaped earrings hanging off his ears, also gold. He had a backpack on his left shoulder.

His hair was a color between blonde and a dusty silver. His eyes were a bright purple color, which contrasted with his hair and skin and stood out clearly against it, yet seemed to match in an odd way. He was wearing khakis and a purple hoodie with no sleeves, cut off at the midriff. Somehow, though that would have looked ridiculous on anyone else, he made it look sexy.

The two looked up at Yugi expectantly, and he just gave them as inviting as a smile as he could manage and stepped out of the way. The two entered the house and gave it a glance around. They didn't seem truly at ease, and they seemed to sense the fact that Yami was watching them from within the room. However again, Yugi couldn't blame them for seeming so jumpy. They had both been controlled at one point by evil spirits. It had to have messed with their heads.

The two silently made their way over to the couch and sat down, nodding once at Anzu as they did so. She just smiled politely and nodded in return. These two, out of all of them, had probably suffered. Because of this, when Yugi's war had ended, they had left as quickly as they could and not come back unless they were really needed.

Marik had been raised in Ancient Egypt as the tomb keeper for Yami's grave, guarding its secrets. He had been largely ignorant of the world and seemed unable to make many judgment calls accurately because of this. Bakura had always been a quiet but sweet boy, usually overlooked even at school. Both of these things had probably led them to being possessed in the first place. However they were definitely hard workers, and they'd always been willing to help their friend Yugi.

Marik's specialty was ancient worlds and cultures, something he'd seemed to have picked up from being confined in a tomb for the first fourteen years of his life. Bakura on the other hand was one of the few people who could ever get Marik to talk, who was usually pretty quiet. He was also the only person who seemed able to find him if Marik decided to drop off the radar. Bakura was much easier to find and get ahold of than Marik was, and Yugi knew that from experience. Apparently though they'd come to him this time to offer their services.

"So," Anzu said gently to the two. "You know something?"

Yugi felt a familiar sensation of being split from his body. He blinked a little as he looked up, standing where Yami previously had been. The spirit hardly ever told him when he was going to just take over like that, but it had honestly helped them out way too much for him to complain about it. It was more disorientating than anything. Yami now was in control of Yugi's body, and he looked up with his much more serious eyes.

"Tell me," he said quietly.

Marik and Bakura's eyes traveled up to the much different face their friend was wearing now, but it was also the kind of face that they had seen many times before. They trusted both Yugi and Yami with their lives, but somehow seeing the pharaoh looking at them made them realize just how serious the two of them really were taking the situation. Marik crossed his arms, the golden earrings flashing in the light as he looked up at the man.

"I'm pretty sure there's a lot you've already noticed," Marik said in a nearly perfect native Japanese accent. He knew quite a few languages from mimicking others. "There have been more dragons than ever, and I think we both know how perceptive they can be. Two of the three Egyptian gods ARE dragons, and there are other dragon gods. I doubt you missed that."

"I certainly didn't," Yami replied. "In fact, Yugi's taken in another student, Yusei Fudo. I'm sure you know that name. This boy also has a dragon Partner, a creature known as a Stardust Dragon. And there are many others."

"I see," Bakura said thoughtfully. "So even here it's become obvious. I'm surprised the general public isn't picking up on it."

"I don't doubt that it has some connection to a god," Marik added, glancing at Yami to see how much he was guessing. "But tell me, what do you know so far?"

It was obvious that it was a clear test. Marik liked Yami and trusted him, but he wasn't one to just offer his services for nothing. He had to be sure that Yami and Yugi were at least somewhat informed of the situation. If not, then it would be obvious that they were losing their touch, and it would be better if he found someone who would be able to fix the problem instead of have to informed of it. Yami and Yugi both knew this kind of test, and now it was Yami who crossed his arms. His amethyst eyes met Marik's bright purple ones.

"I have spoken with the gods," he said, quickly getting both Bakura and Marik's attention. They knew that Yami never bothered the gods with anything. "And the news they gave me wasn't comforting. They spoke of an ancient war, and of a great dragon god who once fought it. I also caught a glimpse of the creature when I was testing Yusei's mind. I'm sure he senses it, but I'm not sure how aware he is of its presence. There is also of course the mark on Yusei's arm, shaped like a dragon's head. It's a magical mark that is red and seems to grow crimson."

Marik and Bakura seemed to blink a little as they looked at him. They'd expected him to know something, but obviously not this much. Then again, Yugi and Yami had a tendency to get themselves stuck right in the middle of all of the action. They'd found Jaden before his war had started, knowing that there was definitely something odd about him. Now he'd found Yusei Fudo. The name and its connection to these events were not lost to them.

Marik had no reservations now and plopped his bag down on the ground. Then he reached forward and unzipped it, shuffling through the things he'd brought with him until he found a large rolled up piece of parchment. It was obviously old, a dirty brown color, and it cracked and creaked in protest as Marik carefully unrolled it. In some dark red ink, seven pictures were neatly drawn on it. Yami instantly picked out the one he had seen on Yusei's arm, however there was another that nearly instantly caught his attention.

It was a full dragon, a long snake like body with line like wings, only two visible claws with one in front and one in back, a snarling head, a heart clutched in its front claw, and a tail that almost seemed to have another face at the end. He stared at it for a long time, but there was no mistaking it. Though he couldn't read the letters that rimmed it, it was obviously very old writing. He knew that dragon anywhere, and he couldn't help but be surprised.

"That's the picture on the bottom of Dragon's Hollow at Duel Academy," he said. "The relief that they copied to put there."

"Ah so you do recognize it," Bakura said with a nod. "I thought it was rather odd. They'd never found anything linking it to anything, though I suppose we should have suspected something."

"This scripts are old," Marik explained. "It took quite a bit of digging, and it was rather hard to get a hold of them. The people who had it weren't willing to part with them easily. However they mentioned that 'the beast was awakening' and agreed to let me borrow it because of this. I wasn't entirely sure what to make of this, but I took it just in case."

"He found it in Peru," Bakura said, eying Yami.

"The same place they found the relief," Yami said, his eyes flashing as his mind began starting to piece together the information. He turned to look at Marik. "Can you read what the words say?"

"I can," Marik replied with a nod. "It took some deciphering, but I managed to make it understandable. The language is around from five thousand years ago, which if I'm not mistaken, is about the same time that your own war started." Yami paused a moment, frowning.

"Why are so many in the same time period?" he couldn't help but ask. "What caused it?"

"I doubt we'll ever be completely sure," Bakura responded with a slight sigh. "Not with the information we've got to go on now."

"Very well," Yami relented. "Can you tell us what it says?" Marik nodded, pointing to the inscription in the middle first next to the full dragon.

"This section here speaks of a war," he explained. "The whole thing is rather faded, but from what I can piece together it sounds like this: ' _In the days of fire the Earthbound Immortals rose against the world they had created. So great was their power that none could stand against them. So the Ancient Dragon and his priests fought them. The dragons too gave their powers to the priests to serve them in their war. The evil gods were sealed into signs upon the earth, and the Dragon slept to guard their slumber. In the coming days the gods will stir and escape. The Dragon and his priests will return to the world, and the war between the dark ones and their servants, and the great Dragon and his will wage again_ '."

"A prophecy?" Anzu couldn't help but ask. Yami sighed.

"It certainly seems that way," he admitted. "And it appears to be coming true. Not only is that relief now being seen, but the mark on Yusei's arm looked like that picture of the head. He also has a dragon partner, as the line ' _The dragons too gave their powers to the priests to serve them in their war_ ' seems to be saying." Marik nodded as he motioned to the paper again.

"Each of these markings appear to have a meaning," he continued to explain. "Those are recorded here on this paper. The one near the head says ' _To the one who is the most cunning will this mark appear. Your mind will give you strength_ '. The one near the wings says ' _To the one who is willing to fly will this mark appear. Your courage will carve a path that the others cannot see_ '." Marik paused a moment, but no one moved.

"The one near the back claw says ' _To the one who is the bravest will this mark appear. Your power will guard the others_ well'." he continued. "The one near the heart says ' _To the one who is the kindest will this mark appear. Your heart will give light unto the others when they see nothing but the darkness_ '. The one near the front claw says ' _To the one who stands firm_ _and grips tomorrow_ _will this mark appear. Your strong beliefs will hold the others when they are threatening to fall_ '. And the one near the tail says ' _To the one who stands guard will this mark appear. Your strong character will not let any unseen enemy pass you by_ '."

"So each one has a meaning," Yami said thoughtfully. Then he leaned down and pointed to a small inscription on the very corner of the page. "And what does this one say?"

"That one also pertains to the picture in the middle," Marik explained. "' _When the dragon awakens and his servants join in battle the full dragon will appear. It will mark the leader, and it will give the power to this one to summon the beast. Then will Yaar Llajsajj Saq'aka appear_ '."

At the mention of those words, the lights seemed to flicker. They wrote it off as coincidence but all paused and blinked a little at the unknown words, wondering if Marik had simply been unable to find a way to translate them. They all turned to look at him as he carefully rolled back up the scroll and put it away, looking carefully through his bag for something else. Finally, Anzu seemed to find the courage to speak up.

"What does that mean?" she asked. "Yaar Llajsajj Saq'aka?" She struggled a little to say the words, and again the lights seemed to flicker. They all paused, unsure.

"It's a name," he replied. "Or at least, the closest thing I could come up with. It doesn't seem to match up with anything else grammatically in the language. That language is Quechua, a language that is still spoken by indigenous people of Peru. The words translate as closely as I can get them to "Blood Dragon", though I was informed that the word blood referred to its color more than anything else since the color red isn't really used in their language."

"Blood sounds rather menacing," Yami admitted. "It probably had a different meaning than exactly what you translated...crimson maybe? I can't help but think that since Yusei's mark glows that color. Red is simply too dull of a word in our language to explain it."

"The Crimson Dragon?" Anzu asked.

At the mention of the name the air seemed to stir and the lights flickered again. This time they were sure that it wasn't coincidence. It was if something had heard the name mentioned and had responded in a way. Slowly they all turned their eyes to look at one another.

" _It seems to have heard us,_ " Merlin noted.

"And if it heard us," Yami said quietly. "That means it's waking up, and that it's drawing closer."

"And the creatures whose slumber it's guarding will awaken," Bakura pointed out nervously.

"Why now though?" Anzu couldn't help but voice.

There was a long stretch of silence. That was a question they might not ever have the answer to. Perhaps the Earthbound Immortals simply finally gained the power to escape. Perhaps the Crimson Dragon simply had no hold over their slumber. Perhaps it was simply time to finish the battle once and for all, instead of only sealing these evil gods away. There were a lot of possibilities why this could be possible, but they couldn't deny that this war was drawing closer.

"Yes well," Marik said, pulling out a much smaller book. "I thought I'd seen these marks before, so I looked into them. You know the Nazca Lines in Peru? Don't they look like them?"

"They do in a way," Bakura said, but they were all thinking that they looked eerily like them. Marik flipped open the book to several pictures inside to confirm how alike they looked. Yami took it and began to carefully flip through it.

"The locals who believe in the Dragon god mention these," he said. "They say that great beasts are sealed here, and when they escape calamity will follow. Just as the text mentioned with ' _the evil gods were sealed into signs upon the earth_ '."

"The Earthbound Immortals," Anzu said quietly. "Now the name makes sense. Do you know how many there are?"

"I believe there are seven," Marik replied.

"Six individual marks, along with a seventh to make two on one of these 'priests'," Bakura said aloud. "And seven Earthbound Immortals. The numbers seem oddly calculated to match, don't you think?"

Yami on the other hand, wasn't particularly listening. His mind was still wandering the pages of the book as he flipped through the pages. He had to figure out what linked these to the mark that Yusei had, and what it meant to the dragon god he had spied breifly within Yusei's mind. However as he flipped one more page he froze and stared at the page. The letter that Hakase had written suddenly popped up into his mind.

"Yami?" Anzu asked, almost scared to see the flicker of terror across his features. She hardly ever saw him scared of anything.

"The Spider," he said quietly. The others just blinked so he explained. "Hakase wrote a letter when he sent Yusei out of the reach of the Zero Reverse. It mentioned a Spider mark..."

The others were still unsure what this had to do with anything, but Yami knew what it was. He leaped up to his feet and ran off down the hallway, Yugi following close behind to point out where he had put it. The others were even more unnerved. They'd never seen Yami really run for anything. He was always so calm and collected, and they were nervous when they saw this. However before they could ask if he was okay he came rushing back into the room. He quickly unfolded the paper and then found the appropriate paragraph.

"' _Roman refused to shut the program down, and though he had the mark of the dragon on his arm he refused to accept it,'_ " He read aloud. " _He instead decided to take the mark of another creature, but to do that he needed to remove the mark, so he made sure to do so, removing his arm. That's when he refused to cancel the project even though my research had proven the rotation would be unstable. But beyond that he overrode the system. That's when the giant spider sign appeared and the meltdown began._ '"

A heavy silence was the only thing that now seemed to fill the room. Not a single person or duel spirit in the room needed it to be read again. The full impact of the situation had finally struck them. The horrible realization that the Zero Reverse hadn't been an accident. The horrible knowledge that their friends had died because they hadn't detected this war had already been waging before. Yami's eyes were now flaming as he carefully folded the paper again. He would not allow himself to repeat that mistake again. He, out of everyone, knew the true pain of dying.

"It mentioned a dragon mark again," Bakura pointed out quietly. "As well as the Spider, another mark. The mark of another 'creature'."

"It's probably one of the Earthbound Immortals," Marik said thoughtfully.

"I don't think I have to explain what this means," Yami said darkly. "This war has already been waging for some time, but only now has the Crimson Dragon got the power to fight back against the Earthbound Immortals."

"So what do we do?" Anzu asked, almost sounding like she was begging.

Every eye turned to Yami once again, and the pharaoh silently closed his eyes. He knew that once again, they were looking to him and Yugi for guidance. However he was pretty sure at this point that the only ones who really had the power to do anything would be Yusei and his other illusive allies. He had no idea what they were meant to do, but he knew that he had to help the boy as much as he was able to. He owed that to his parents. Yami looked up again.

"Jim and Asura are coming in town," he said. "And the two of you are planning on staying for a while?" Marik and Bakura nodded. "Good. We'll need all the help we can get. For now, we'll keep it pretty much a secret. We can't even involve too many of our friends yet. If there's one thing we can't have, it's making Yusei nervous."

The others just nodded, seeming comforted by Yami's determination. Both he and Yugi were natural born leaders, though no one could deny that Yami was much more self assured than Yugi was. Still, they were both wearing very similar faces, very thoughtful and serious ones. For now though, until it was obvious that another threat would become present like the Zero Reverse, they needed to let Yusei figure things out on his own. The poor boy had already been through so much. He deserved that at least for now.

Yami however couldn't help but turn towards the window, seeing the dark haze even from here that hung perpetually over the Satellite. Of everyone, he knew that gods chose people for specific reasons. He couldn't help but wonder what had made this one chose someone like Yusei, who had come from the worst situation. Yusei had always seemed a bit odd. Oddly cheerful. Oddly smart. Oddly solid in his beliefs. Then another thought occurred to Yami that drowned out his doubt.

Perhaps the Crimson Dragon had chosen Yusei because he had suffered all these things, and still remained a creature full of light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, there we go. What did you guys think? Now Yugi and his group knows similar, though not all the same things that Hakase's group does. Both groups have information that's different from one another, but they don't know it yet.
> 
> Also, disclaimer. I can't speak Quechua, which is a language of Peru. I'm not sure how old it is, but it appears to be pretty old. Also I again, can't speak it, and I'm not even sure if those words I used ("Yaar" which is blood and "Llajsajj Saq'aka" which is dragon or drake) are translated correctly or even words. I just basically used a translator, and they looked cool, so I decided to use it. I also didn't find a word for red or crimson, thus I used the word blood instead.
> 
> At this point, if they aren't completely correct (and I'm pretty sure the grammar on that is horrible) it probably doesn't matter because this is an AU world. So in this world that's what it means, and it's the name of the Crimson Dragon. I also decided to use it because it appears to match the names of the Earthbound Immortals. Besides, it just looks cool. That name will probably remain unchanged and appear more later.
> 
> All of that confusion aside, I hope you guys enjoyed. Feel free to leave a review below and tell me how you think I did.


	21. Paper Flowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go with chapter twenty one. In this one, we'll see how Yusei is doing in class today, as well as meet a character that I'm sure you'll all recognize as well as probably love to see. Then we'll be heading for some more training where Yusei will meet some characters that were mentioned last chapter.  
> The more Yusei goes through this story, the stronger his bonds will become towards all of the other Signers and the Crimson Dragon. Crow will also be coming into the story completely as the last Signer very soon, though it might take a while to get there. Anyway, he won't be left out much longer, and neither will feather. It's going to be very interesting to say the least.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and have enjoyed this story so far. I'm not entirely sure how long the whole story will be, but if this is anything to go off of, it's going to take a while. It's been a slow build up so far, but when we actually get to the “war” portion of this story everything will hit the fan quickly. Just like real life.   
> As with everyone, I may change this character's personality. Apparently I tend to do that a lot. I'll try to keep him as close to the original as possible. In answer to another question: When will Crow come back in? It shouldn't be too much longer. I've got to figure out a way to bring him in too from the Satellite. But he will be coming in soon.

There had been another shudder that night, meaning that the Crimson Dragon had accepted yet another Signer. It had been Aki, and Yusei had been the one to comfort her this morning. They had been forced to part because of their schedules soon afterward, but Yusei knew that Aki would be okay. It did worry him though, knowing that somewhere out there, the Dark Signers knew that there were two of them now.

In fact people seemed to be growing more attuned to the phenomenon. They were beginning to suspect that it wasn't something they'd imagined. He could see it in the way the Duel Spirits seemed to be looking for something, and the way that Spell Casters were talking to one another. He knew it would only be a matter of time before people realized something else was going on.

Yusei sighed as he shouldered his bag over his uninjured shoulder. As much as he liked learning and was generally very good in class, his mind couldn't enjoy the subjects that had been being taught very well. Throughout the morning he had taken a basic literature class, advanced calculus, a history of the spirit and shadow realms class, and even an advanced class on science.

While normally he would have been absolutely thrilled to learn such topics, and he found that he absolutely loved science, he couldn't focus. Not even the thought of doing homework over the subject (something that most people thought made him like an alien apparently) could cheer him up.

Yusei couldn't help but be worried. He could feel the Crimson Dragon's nervousness. The creature wasn't talking to him, but Yusei could now sense him always in the back of his mind. It was very distracting, and he wasn't sure what to do about it.

The god had assured him it was just because their bond was growing stronger, and because he was more aware of most of the other Signers, but it didn't make him feel any better.

Apparently Yusei would, over time, grow more used to this. Eventually it would grant him the ability to follow the call of the Crimson Dragon through certain pathways, but he wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to be doing during that waiting time.

He could hardly concentrate in class (though this homework wasn't going to prove a problem for him) and he felt like he was lost inside his own head. He wasn't even sure if he could talk to the others about it without sounding completely insane, and he didn't need to freak him out.

The only person he could really talk to would be Aki, but they didn't have any classes together today. He couldn't talk to Star about it in public either. Talking about gods and wars, and possibly the end of the world wasn't exactly a casual conversation they could have in public.

The worry was eating away at him, and Star could plainly see it. She knew her partner well by now, and though he looked fine through that indifferent mask, she could see him fidgeting nervously even as they walked to the next class.

She reached over and gently laid her hand on his shoulder. He flinched as if to brace for a blow, but quickly relaxed more than he had previously been when he realized it was the dragon. He paused on the sidewalk and turned to look at her.

Again she saw such genuine trust in his eyes, and she felt both a little humbled and glad to see it. She gave him a gentle smile and began to purr to him. He managed a weak smile in return.

“ _You have Shop class with Professor Truesdale right?_ ” she asked, knowing how much he liked to build and fix things. “ _Won't it be nice to be back in a workshop again?_ ”

Yusei blinked a little, but his smile became a little wider. He knew that she was trying her best to reassure him that it was all right, and he was glad more than ever to have a friend like her. He knew that it would be nice to return to a workshop. It felt like forever since he had last been in one.

It had been a constant comfort to him whenever he was feeling nervous, scared, down or angry. There was just something about the way a machine worked that calmed him and made him at peace. He sighed and nodded a little.

“Yeah it will,” he said. “Thanks Star. I feel better now.”

“ _You'll feel even better when you get into class,_ ” Star said. She was much happier to see him not so worked up now. She knew this was going to be hard, on him especially, but for now she just had to watch after him.

Remembering that he did indeed have a class Yusei quickly turned and began to make his way towards the relatively smaller square building with no windows where Syrus Truesdale held his workshop classes. Syrus was definitely the more timid of the two brothers.

If Yusei hadn't known otherwise he might have almost not believed they were brothers. Then again, he couldn't really talk. He had two brothers, and they weren't really that similar at all. The three of them may not have been related by blood, but they were brothers all the same.

Within a few minutes they'd reached the rather unassuming building and paused outside. It really didn't look like anything special, especially considering some of the other things that the campus had to offer. And at the same time, it was comforting to Yusei. It was about time this place had what would be much closer to a normal building.

Yusei quickly shouldered his bag and went inside. He wasn't sure what he was expecting to find, but he hoped that he could have a little bit of time to not be so freaked out. He'd been put into one of the advanced workshop classes because of his previous experience with the work he'd been doing. Most of the kids in this class had been in it for quite some time and developed quite a lot of skills. He'd seem like an outsider to all of them, but he'd been working a lot longer with a lot of different things. He was out of the loop in that regard, but he wasn't exactly the new kid on the street. He'd worked on things most of these kids had never really seen.

The glass doors slid open to reveal a small reception area, where a young woman ran up with a smile to look at his schedule. When she found the correct class she smiled and pointed him in the correct way to go to the classroom. He thanked her and quickly went down the hallway until he found the correct class. Inside he could already hear the buzz of friendly conversation.

Star laid his hand on his shoulder, giving him a gentle purr. He gave her a quick smile then steeled himself. He quickly opened the door and nearly instantly the conversation stopped as about a dozen heads turned to look towards him. Yusei ignored the stares (which was actually quite accustomed to at this point) and walked in. Nearly instantly a tiny bob of blue hair made its way to him. He saw Syrus Truesdale smiling at him.

“Ah there you are Yusei,” he said. “I'd wondered when I'd be seeing you in one of my classes. I think there's an empty seat by Bruno if you'd like to take a seat.”

“Thanks,” Yusei managed past the lump on his throat. His voice and face seemed far more level than he really felt.

Yusei turned to survey the crowd for the empty desk and saw a single table that only had one person at it. The boy was about his age, maybe a year or two older. He was really pale and had an almost vacant look in his dark gray eyes. His hair was longer, hanging down to his chin, and it was a dark blue color. When he looked up at hearing his name called and seeing Yusei standing there he gave the boy and his partner an inviting smile.

“ _Something about him seems odd,_ ” Star said to Yusei quietly. There was something highly wary in her tone. Yusei glanced towards her, raising an eyebrow.

Yusei declined to reply, even when several other Duel Spirits in the room hissed at her because of this. It was obvious the class was already pretty well bonded to one another, and that they weren't taking too kindly to having the new kid and his Duel Spirit already seeming to be picking on one of their own. Yusei ignored them and nodded to Syrus, walking over to the table with Star following close behind. He had to admit that this boy didn't seem quite right.

As Yusei reached the table, the boy just continued to smile pleasantly at him. Yusei, as usual, gave him his usual impassive face and sat down beside him. He plopped his bag down on the table with a thud and gave a quiet sigh. Star stood just behind him, watching both boys almost curiously. As Syrus made his way around the room to say hello to everyone else, the boy turned to look at Yusei.

“Hey,” he said. “You're the new student right? Yusei Fudo I think...”

“That's me,” Yusei replied. Hardly put off by Yusei's demeanor, the boy smiled and continued talking.

“My name's Bruno,” he said. “I joined the Duel Academy about a year ago.” He then looked around the room and frowned at the faces his peers were making at Yusei. “Sorry about them. They're a really close group, and they don't like it when people say things about me.”

“I'm used to looks like that,” Yusei replied with a shrug. And he really was. He'd always been known as the son of the man who'd caused the Zero Reverse, and that meant people hated him without knowing him. He looked up at Bruno. “Why are they so touchy about it though?”

“Well,” Bruno said kind of nervously. “Because I don't have my memories. I don't know who I am, and no one else really knows either.”

“You don't know?” Yusei asked, surprise registering on his face.

“Nope,” Bruno said with another, though sad, smile. “I don't even remember my name. Someone just called me Bruno and that's what I go by now.”

Yusei blinked as he looked at the boy. He didn't know who he was? That's probably what Star had sensed about him, and obviously why the class was so overprotective of their friend. Yusei could understand the confusion of that kind of thing. Only the confusion and pain he had once felt had been because he couldn't escape the name he'd been given. When he was younger, he would have given anything to have forgotten everything like Bruno had. That certainly wasn't the case now, but he might have.

“I suppose I understand in a way,” Yusei sighed. “You don't know your name, and at one point I wished I hadn't known mine.”

“Why?” Bruno asked, sounding confused. “It's terrible to know nothing.” Yusei chuckled a little, a tiny smile touching his lips.

“You truly don't remember anything do you?” he asked. “My last name, Fudo. Everyone blames my father for the Zero Reverse. You know what that is, don't you?”

“Yeah I do,” he said quietly. “But why would they blame him?”

“I don't know,” Yusei said with a sigh. “There's no evidence to support this. But people needed someone to blame so they picked him because he was in charge. And it's just been told so many times now that people blurt it out. They hated me because I had his name, so I wished I hadn't known about it.”

Bruno was giving Yusei the most pitying gaze he'd ever given anyone. He realized that Yusei wasn't that different from himself. They'd both lived hard lives, though in their own ways. He wondered if Yusei had let it get to him. It was hard to tell beyond that expressionless mask he wore. Bruno quietly sighed.

“What did you do then?” he asked.

“I made a name for myself,” came the fearless reply. “If people were going to hate me for my name, I'd make one that they would realize was the true me, the good in me. Then they'd never be able to ignore me.”

“That sounds nice,” Bruno said sadly. “I wish I could say the same.”

“You can,” Yusei said. Bruno looked at Yusei with surprise, and the other boy was looking right at him again. “There's always a chance to write the new you. Even if you don't know who you are, you're still you. There's no changing that. So make your own story.”

“But what if I never remember?” Bruno nearly whispered in a scared tone. “What if I do and I'm not the same person?”

“Either way,” Yusei replied. “you make yourself. You write your own story. Even if everything you know has changed,” Yusei paused a moment to give Star a small smile. “never be afraid to fly.”

Bruno blinked at Yusei as he watched him smiling that that a moment, and his Partner replying with a purring noise. He supposed that Yusei hadn't let it get to him, not really. Maybe it had hurt, but he'd been strong and pushed through it. Yusei was just the kind of person to keep pushing on until he got everything he needed to do done. Bruno smiled too, and this time it was once again a very happy smile.

“You're all right Yusei,” he said. “Hey, think we could be friends?” Yusei blinked then smiled in return.

“No doubt,” he said.

“All right class,” Syrus said as he bounced up to the front of the room, drawing everyone's attention towards himself. His voice didn't sound nearly so timid now, far more excited. “Everyone please welcome our new student, Yusei Fudo. While I'm aware this class has worked together for some time, and that we're moving onto some big projects this year, I've been told by his private tutor that he's had quite the extensive hand's on experience in the Satellite. Yusei, care to tell us some of the things that you've worked on?”

The class's whole attention was now turned to Yusei, and most were glaring at him or smirking, expecting something simple. They weren't happy with him or Star, and they were hoping that they could single him out for something. Star bristled a little in defense of her Partner, and Bruno gave them both and apologetic smile.

“Usually it was small things,” Yusei admitted fearlessly. “Clocks and other such things. We didn't have any mechanics in the Satellite. Though I did work on some bigger things, like police vehicles. Including one of the huge cars that go over the streets of the Satellite.”

“No way,” someone scoffed.

“You can always call the Satellite police if you don't believe me,” Yusei shrugged. His surety of it seemed to unnerve everyone.

“No I doubt we need that,” Syrus said with a smile. “Well today class we're going to be undertaking a pretty large project. You know of course of Turbo Dueling? Well I'd like for us to pair off and build a Duel Runner. They certainly don't have to be professional grade, but I want to see them ride-able, running, and preferably safe. All right, everyone pair off.”

The sounds of chairs scraping could be heard as people began to walk around the room, pairing with their friends and talking happily with one another. Yusei on the other hand didn't move. He'd really not made a favorable first impression with these people. He was probably going to just get stuck with someone who was left over. He hoped they'd be willing to work with him though.

“Bruno,” a girl said as she walked up. “Can I be your partner for the project?”

She was a pretty girl, well endowed and with pale skin. She had long brown hair that flowed in waves down her back, and her eyes were a bright emerald green. She was blushing furiously and twirling a piece of her hair around her finger. Several giggling classmates behind her told Yusei that she had been put up to it.

However the huge creature that stepped in front of his field of view, glaring at him, told him that the creature wasn't happy with him or Star. He was tall and well muscled, and he wore all brown, though it appeared to be some sort of hide.

His hair was long and black, and his eyes were a dark brown color. Star hissed at the girl's Partner, and he wisely backed off. His eyes flicked towards her, and he seemed unnerved that she was so protective of her Partner at the moment. He could tell exactly what she was after all.

“Sorry Lucy,” Bruno said with a smile. “But I'm already partnered with Yusei.”

“Wait you are?” Yusei asked, more surprised than anyone. Bruno just nodded. Yusei sighed. “What is it with people this week. You and Aki both...”

“A-Aki Izayoi?” Lucy gasped, sounding terrified.

“Yeah,” Yusei shrugged. “She showed me around to my classes yesterday.”

“You get along with her?” Lucy asked, sounding absolutely dumbfounded. Her Partner looked surprised as well.

“I'd hope so,” he sighed. “Her room is right next to mine in the dorm.”

Lucy and her Partner looked stunned and unsure of the new kid. Bruno just kept smiling. Yusei looked a little uneasy at the current situation. Lucy's Partner was still eying Star, who was silently glaring at him and daring him to try anything. And the rest of the room was still pairing off. Lucy had yet to move when Syrus looked around and saw the number of kids in the class.

“We have an uneven number,” he said. “Ah Lucy, you pair with Yusei and Bruno. That will work perfectly.”

“Well I suppose that settles that,” Yusei said with another shrug.

Most of the class, still chatting away, began to laugh and have some apparently great conversations, though it was obvious that their dislike for Yusei and Star had only grown more. Unphased by this, Bruno pulled out a small notebook for making their sketches in it. He pulled out a pencil, and for the first time both he and Lucy seemed to notice his injured arm. They looked at him silently for a long time.

“Unfortunately,” he sighed. “I'm not left handed. One of you is going to have to draw and take the notes.”

“This is from,” Lucy said hesitantly. “when you fought that Shadow Being right? Does it still hurt?”

“I don't know,” Yusei replied with a shrug. “I'm on so much pain medication right now that it's a miracle I'm thinking straight. I assume it does.”

Lucy's Partner seemed to be giving Yusei a pitying look now, and Yusei could clearly see him shudder a little at the thought. Duel Spirits of course knew how terrifying Shadow Beings could be. He couldn't help but be confused though how the boy had survived something like that. It seemed practically impossible, yet here he was. He supposed that it also made sense too why his Partner was in such a horribly bad mood. He certainly didn't want to get on her bad side. His Partner's train of thought seemed to be following along the same lines though.

“Weren't you scared?” she asked. “I mean...you could have died.”

“I was scared all right,” Yusei admitted fearlessly. “There would be something wrong if I wasn't. We just got very lucky. That's all.” He didn't mention the fact that an ancient god may have been watching him and helped him though. “It probably didn't hurt that Star was about the same size as this thing.”

“Oh,” Lucy said, smiling a little nervously. “Sorry, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Lucy Barnes, and this is my Partner, Sauske, a Total Defense Shogun.”

“Yusei Fudo,” Yusei replied, the motioned towards Star. “And this is Star, a Stardust Dragon.”

An awkward silence seemed to fall over the whole group for a while. The rest of the room was chatting happily, but there was an air of uneasiness between these three. Bruno still looked like he was silently apologizing for everyone's behavior towards Yusei, and Yusei looked like he couldn't care less. Though Lucy could now see that he looked rather exhausted. She didn't doubt he was. His life had been thrown into chaos so quickly.

“So,” she said, hoping to break the odd silence. “Why do you think Professor Truesdale had us start on such a big project? It's going to take a long time to finish? Last year we didn't even start so big.”

“Well this is the advanced class,” Bruno said with a shrug. “He probably wants to see if we can put a bunch of skills we already learned together.”

“I guess,” she sighed. “So, should we start on a design?”

For the rest of the class the three of them sat there bouncing ideas back and forth. Bruno sat there sketching everything out and jotting down notes. Eventually they agreed on a design. They wanted it to look cool but still be air o-dynamic.

They ended up with a sleek and rather simply design. It had a slightly pointed nose and two wheels that sat low to the ground. In the back the seat was tall and would slid forward as the rider had to lean forward to grip the handle bars to work the motorcycle. Those were small and right up against the body so it would go faster.

They also decided that since it was so simple, mostly black leather, and a single main color would make it look better. They agreed for a silver for any accents on it. They understood that look was also an important part of the design, but they couldn't seem to figure out what they wanted the color to be. Blues and greens would be the most popular colors obviously.

“We could make it orange or yellow,” Lucy said, thinking.

“It would stand out too much,” Bruno sighed. “Bright colors could blind the competitors, so a real Duel Runner would never be a bright color. It wouldn't make it to the starting gate.”

“How about crimson?” Yusei asked. He nearly face palmed. He seemed to be just stuck on that color here lately. He supposed he couldn't really blame himself though.

“Yeah,” Bruno said with a smile. “That's a dark enough color.”

“And it would make it look sharp and fierce,” Lucy agreed. “We need that since others are going to be a lot more complicated. That kind of color will stand out a lot.”

“All right so we'll make it crimson,” Bruno said. Then however his smile fell. “But, do any of us know enough about building to make a Duel Runner.”

“I've worked on Police motorcycles,” Yusei said. “I've even had to tear one apart just to fix it. A Duel Runner obviously isn't going to be built the same. It needs to go a lot faster, and be more stable, especially in turns. But I guess it's a start.”

“Better than us,” Lucy said with a shrug. She seemed rather at ease with her largely silet and unreadable classmate. “It's a start.”

With that, class was over, and everyone stared heading out the door. Yusei gathered his supplies back into his bag as quickly as he could with only one arm, and both Lucy and Bruno were quickly putting their own supplies away.

“We might need to meet outside of class pretty quickly,” Bruno said. “That way we can plan out the engine and things. Would today work?”

“No,” Yusei said, almost groaning. “I've got enough homework as it is. Besides, it's Wednesday.”

“What's Wednesday?” Lucy asked in surprise.

“Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I go to Yugi's house for private training,” he sighed. “And believe me, it's not really fun.”

“Tomorrow then?” Bruno asked. “We can meet in the East Commons at around Four O' clock.”

“Sounds good to me,” Lucy said.

“That should work,” Yusei said with a slight nod.

The three quickly went their separate ways to go towards their dorms, and Yusei was glad when Star turned into her dragon form and offered him her had. He carefully crawled into it and she took off into the sky again. The cool slap of air was refreshing, and he felt a lot more calm than he had felt in quite some time. Machines were wonderful.

Yusei knew that Wednesdays and Fridays were when Turbo Dueling Club would usually be held, but since it was the start of school, that wouldn't be starting until next week. He was free from that today, which made him trying to get his homework done a lot easier. Preoccupied with his thoughts about what could possibly happen today during training, he nearly forgot to be worried about this nearing war. Nearly.

When they landed outside their room, Yusei sighed and quickly went inside, plopping down at the desk and pulling out his homework. While he worked quickly, this homework was going to take a long time because he wasn't left handed. Even so, he sat down and went to work.

Now that he was calmer he could concentrate on his homework. It was nice, with the equations of math and science, and facts from literature and history pouring through his head, through his hand, and onto the paper. Even though it took a lot longer, and his hand wasn't wanting to cooperate, it was a sweet release from the stress to just use his brain.

He'd always been weird like that. Other kids his age would rather be doing anything but homework. But he preferred to be doing it. It was much better than constantly worrying about the state of the world and all the things that would be soon going wrong. It was familiar and comforting, knowing that for right now at least, everything was going to be fine.

Star couldn't help but smile a bit as she saw him relaxing. Yes, her Partner was an odd one, but he was still the best friend she'd ever had. She was glad that she'd met him, even if they were going to have to fight this huge war together. She wanted to proect him too. But for now she was just glad to see him more like himself.

He sat that way until he'd finished all of his homework, then grabbed a nearby book. It was some reading that wasn't due until next week, but Yusei never was one to just put a book down. He did glance at the time and sigh however.

“Guess we'll take a cab,” he said. “We should go and make our way to Yugi's house for training.”

Star purred and nodded as she gathered up his medicine and book bag, then followed him out the door as he locked it behind him. She took her dragon form and perched on the balcony, letting Yusei crawl into her hand. Then she roared to let the others below her through the masses of dragons and spell casters flying to and from different levels inside of Dragon's Hollow that she was coming down.

* * *

 

Yugi had almost forgotten what was going on until he heard the doorbell ring. His house was crowded, as usual. Jaden was here with Luna and Leo, as well as Monarch and Quake since he had picked them up from school for some training of their own. They'd decided though to join the older students, so Jaden and Neos were keeping an eye on them until they arrived.

Seto Kaiba was in the corner, his eyes severe. The man was tall, and though leaning against the wall, held himself with confidence. His hair was brown and cut short, and his eyes were blue as well as icy. He wore his favorite white jacket, and his favorite scowl.

His Partner, a Blue-Eyes White Dragon named Eirwen, was tall with long white hair that was braided thickly behind her head and nearly hung to the floor. Her bangs were swept to the right, and her eyes were a bright and shocking blue. She wore a white dress, matching heels, and had no trouble walking in them.

Joey Wheeler was laughing and joking with Anzu in the kitchen. The tall, blonde haired blue eyed boy hadn't changed much since they were kids. He was wearing that green blazer he loved so much and jeans.

Neither had Slash, his Red-Eyes Black Dragon Partner changed much. He was a taller young man with black hair that hung down to his chin and into his face. He had blood red eyes, and wore a black hoodie and black pants. Slash was glaring at Kaiba and Eirwen. Merlin was watching quietly, along with the silent Pharaoh and Yubel who was somewhere in the room.

Bakura and Marik were silently sitting on the couch and watching the usual mayhem of Yugi's house. It was already cluttered, though it would soon be even more so. With the new arrivals and the students coming in, it was going to be packed. He couldn't help but feel a little happy, and also a little sad. The last time it had been filled like this had been after Yoko and Hakase's wedding. He was glad to have some more people around. It felt too lonely when everyone was away on their own business. Yugi hurried to the door, dodging Luna and Leo as they chased each other as usual. Then he managed to finally open the door.

Three people greeted him there, well and of course a crocodile. His daughter was still beautiful, but looking at her mother she had to be. Asura Moto was a beautiful young woman and about average height. She had long black hair with a streak of yellow and another of red in her bangs. She was wearing a simple blue dress, her favorite, and her eyes were a bright lavender color.

Jim Cook hadn't appeared to have changed much, except he was even taller than he had been before. He still had black hair, with oddly curled sideburns and spikes coming off the sides of his head. His visible eye was a dark blue green color and he wore bandages over the right one. He was wearing that hat he loved so much and tipping it to Yugi as he smiled in greeting. He was also wearing a long sleeved white shirt, jeans, boots and a dark vest. The orange bandana tied around his neck almost seemed to glow.

Behind him was his Partner, a Fossil Dragon Skullgeoth named Bones. He was tall and thin, and his skin was bleached almost white. He had dark black colored eyes, giving them an almost hollow look, and his hair was short and a dusty brown like earth. He wore simple clothing, a brown t-shirt and dark brown pants and boots. He was also watchful and silent, the same as he had ever been since Yugi had first met him. Though he did manage a little smile for him.

Shirley was, as usual, clinging to Jim's back and letting out a growl of greeting to Yugi. She was huge, easily over twelve feet long now, and she had to weigh a lot. However Jim had no trouble carrying her around. She was a bright green color with a white underbelly, and her eyes were a bright and intelligent yellow. Since she certainly wasn't a normal crocodile either, she was more flexible and turned her head to eye Yugi. She seemed quite fond of him still though and smiled at him in her own way as he smiled in return.

“How's it going mate?” Jim asked with a smile. “Certainly has been a while. I'd thought I'd drop by to see how things were going. Anything interesting happen while I was away? I haven't seen any news in months.”

“You could definitely say that,” Yugi said, smiling but wincing a little as there was the sound of Leo crashing to the ground from the other room. “Come in. You might as well. The house is already crowded though.”

They didn't ask any questions, and soon the four of them had entered the house and closed the door behind them. They could hear Jaden chastising Leo from the living room, somewhere out of sight from the main entrance of the house. Jim couldn't help but smile a little as Asura ran to hug her much shorter father. Everything was definitely business as usual at Yugi's house.

“I've missed you dad,” Asura cried. “Oh and I heard you'd gotten a new student. What are they like?”

“Well,” Yugi sighed, managing to disentangle himself from his daughter's hug. “I'm still not sure what to make of him. We found him in the Satellite. This name should definitely ring a bell. My newest student is Yusei Fudo.”

The air in the foyer seemed to go a little taunt as the new arrivals processed the information. Yusei Fudo? They hadn't been aware he'd even been alive. Then again, they hadn't known Jack Atlas had been alive either. Jim felt his hand go to his mouth as he tried to process the new information he'd been given. Shirley, upon hearing the name, raised her head and let out yet another growl. When Yusei had been an infant she'd often guarded him for his parents. She knew the name.

“He's alive?” Asura gasped, seeming more happy than she had been in a while. “That's great news!”

“Yes,” Yugi said with another smile. “It seems that he and Jack were raised together, and they're practically brothers now, though they did mention a third 'brother'. He's just like his father in a lot of ways. Practically looks like him, and he might just be smarter than both of his parents. There is a lot going on around him though...maybe too much.”

The other four paused as they watched Yugi, seeing Yami's serious face flicker across his for a moment as he frowned thoughtfully. They knew that face. It meant that something was going on. It meant that he knew more than he'd mentioned already.

“Dad?” Asura asked. Yugi jumped and failed a smile.

“A-Ah it's nothing,” he managed. “Oh and don't freak out. He apparently fought off a Shadow Being with his Partner Star. He was pretty badly hurt but appears to be recovering. He appears to be loyal to a fault just like Yoko was.”

Jim and Asura were absolutely shocked. Why would someone purposely fight a Shadow Being? And with his Partner? How could two of them even survive something like that, let alone defeat the creature? Because they knew it wouldn't give up trying to kill them without being dead. However before they could open their mouths to say anything, there came another knock at the door.

Yugi moved past them to open the door and when he did he found Aki and Yusei, as well as Thorn and Star behind it. On their way out of Duel Academy Yusei had run into Aki, whose parents still had a car pick her up and take her around town when she needed it. Of course, she had offered a ride to her friends, and they'd ended up here together.

Yusei blinked up at Asura and Jim, who both looked surprised and unsure what to say when they saw Yusei. It was obvious to them that he was Yoko and Hakase's child. He had black hair like his father, though yellow streaks ran through it, and he had his blue eyes. However his face was shaped more like Yoko's had been.

Shirley growled at the boy, a quiet and greeting sound. Yusei instantly recognized it, having heard a similar sound from Star before. He wasn't scared of her at all when he heard the sound, though some confusion seemed to touch his face as he looked at her. He couldn't remember meeting her before, but then again, he'd been an infant at the time. He did however recognize the sound as one of greeting, and it sounded pretty fond of him. Jim seemed to recover from his surprise to turned to the two, smiling and tip his hat again.

“Nice seeing you again Aki,” he said. “It's been a while since I was around last. And you must be Yusei Fudo. I expect you've heard this a lot around here, but I was a good friend of your parent's. The name's Jim Cook. And this here is Shirley. She remembers you it seems. She always was keeping an eye on you when you were little. I think it's safe to assume she missed you. She might be following you around, so don't freak out okay?”

“I think I'm used to big reptiles by now,” Yusei said. Star swatted him playfully on his uninjured arm, which he didn't seem to respond to.

“Hi,” Asura said, smiling at him. “I'm Yugi's daughter. It's nice to meet you at last.”

The sound of Leo's yelp and Jaden's sigh could be heard from the other room, cutting off the rest of the conversation they could have had. Aki just shook her head and closed the door behind her as the four of them stepped inside the house. It was obvious by the amount of voices that were in the house that Yugi's house was already pretty full.

Yusei stepped into the other room, Star close behind as usual. Merlin looked like he was ready to give the boy an earful, glaring at the mess of limbs that was the twins. However when he saw Yusei he seemed satisfied that their behavior would improve and stepped back. This gained both Bakura and Marik's attention, who were sitting on the couch.

The others followed them into the house, and people around the room all paused to watch as Yusei made his way over to the two twins. Star crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at the young dragons, who both lowered their head a little at her. It was obvious that they looked up to Star and Yusei as much as the twins did.

By the time the twins had disentangled themselves, they found Yusei looking down at him. Even through his indifferent mask, they could tell that he was disappointed in them. Somehow his disappointment was worse than Jaden's. Part of it was because he was probably one of the few people who understood their confusion and the marks on their arms. Both twins, as their Partners had with Star, lowered their heads to Yusei.

“What happened now?” Yusei asked.

“Um,” Leo mumbled quietly to the surprise of everyone, including Jim and Asura who'd met the twins before. “Well Luna and I were arguing about which one of us should do our homework...”

“No you just wanted me to do it,” Luna said quietly, glaring at her brother. “If it's that big of a problem you should get a tutor.”

“You need to do your own homework Leo,” Yusei said as he knelt by the two twins and said quietly so only the two of them could hear. “But if you need help I can help tutor you, all right?”

“Really?” Leo asked.

“Yeah really,” Yusei said with a small smile. “Now can you two behave for the rest of the day?”

“Okay,” the twins replied in unison.

With that Yusei smiled again and stood. The two twins and their two dragons were now much quieter and seemed to be satisfied and argument free by now. Jim just shook his head in surprise, and even Asura seemed floored by this new development. They knew these two kids, and it was surprising that Yusei could get them under control when even Jaden couldn't. And they knew how persuasive Jaden could be when he wanted to.

Conversation started again in the room, with people greeting Jim and saying hello to Asura. Jim kept smiling and nodding to everyone, but his mind was elsewhere. He noticed as Shirley slipped off his shoulders and walked over to Yusei, who was sitting in the corner (since Bakura, Marik, the twins and their Partners had taken up the couch) and was reading a book.

Shirley curled up behind him and growled at him gently. Yusei blinked but reached over and patted her nose, completely unafraid of her. Shirley continued to growl in pleasure at the touch and closed her eyes, simply laying behind him as he returned to the pages of his book. Jim felt a slight pang as he saw Yusei in the blue uniform, reading a book with Shirley behind him. She'd done the same for the boy's father. The problem was, the man was dead now, and it almost physically hurt him to see the boy and the crocodile like that.

It would be a while before Jack arrived, but Jim had to go. He couldn't keep this information to himself any longer. Jesse and Zane weren't the only ones helping an old friend who was supposed to be dead. He'd already told him about Jack Atlas having survived, which he was obviously relieved about. But the man had always blamed himself for letting his best friend die. Jim owed it to him to let him know that his best friend's son was alive.

Jim quickly excused himself and stepped outside, pulling out his phone. He quickly dialed the number, then as he heard it ringing he looked around to make sure he was alone. Of course he was. Yugi owned this whole floor so there wasn't much to disturb him up here. He still wanted to check just in case. Because there was a very specific person he was calling, one who he couldn't just let the world know he was alive yet, not even his own son.

Jim was calling Jack's father, John Atlas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And on that bomb, I think I'll end that chapter xD  
> I doubt no one saw this coming at this point. I really wanted to involve him in the story, as well as one other surprise person who should be dead but isn't. Also, I don't remember if I previously named him something else, but that's his name in this chapter. If he has another name in this story I'll find it and change it here.   
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. In the next chapter we'll have this little conversation between Jim and John, and then we'll have the actual training session. That should be fun. I hope you enjoy and leave a review if you'd like.


	22. Never Fade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go with chapter twenty two. This one will bring back a character that we haven't technically met so far in this story, as well as another interesting development. Then we'll go back to the training, and Joey will be leaving early for something else that you'll learn about later. And THAT will be even more fun xD  
> Notice that the Parents and children have naming schemes. Yusei and his parents have the “Japanese” theme. Jack and his parents have the “American” theme. And Crow and his parents have the “Bird” naming theme. I thought it would be amusing.  
> In answer to a review: Is no one aware of the other's secret missions? That's exactly right. There are a lot of secret missions going on now. Eventually they'll all line up and everyone will realize the huge network of insanity that's going on, but for now they're all clueless as to the other's existence. You guys know everything, but the characters don't. ALL THE SUBPLOTS! xD  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story, and I'm so humbled that so many people like this story and have stuck with me this long as I've written more and more on this story.

It had been years since John Atlas had heard anything of the Zero Reverse. It had been too painful for them to say anything about here, and so they'd never brought it up. He'd been unsure if his son had survived, and about a year ago he'd learned that he had. Of course, he was relieved to find out that Jack had lived, but from what he'd been told, he'd lived a hard life up until now in the Satellite. He couldn't help but wish it could have been different.

John's wife and Jack's mother, Sarah, had died during the incident, and John had taken into hiding. He couldn't understand why Roman would have betrayed them like that, and he wasn't entirely sure what had happened or how. He also blamed himself for Hakase's death. There was no way he could have survived in the center of that explosion. Hakase had always been too kind, and John should have stopped him from running back in there to help people. Hakase had helped him to survive, when he probably had every right to hate him.

When they had been kids going to Duel Academy, John had never been kind to Hakase. However when they had started working together they'd become best friends. It was far too short a time, and then just like that his best friend was gone. It hurt badly, and he couldn't help but wish every day that somehow the man was still alive. But after so long, he doubted it could happen.

John knew though that Roman was still alive, and that he wasn't going to stop until he'd gotten all of his revenge against them. He had to stop him. He'd created too many tragedies and too much pain already as it was. John's group was small, but they were loyal, and they were working in the streets, keeping an eye on everything in the shadows. They didn't have as much contact with the outside world as Hakase's group, so they weren't aware of many things. Here recently they'd been chased by Roman's minions, and so they'd been forced into hiding. Finally though they'd managed to creep back out to see what was going on.

John was tall, pale, and had bright blue eyes that seemed to glow against his skin. His hair, like Jack's, was blonde, and the top was spiked up a lot like Jack's was. Only his hair was long instead of short like Jack's.

And John had one close friend left after that explosion, the woman who'd been Hakase's personal secretary on the project. She too was sad that all of her friends thought she was dead, and especially Jaden. While they had been at school she had avoided him out of fear. She had seen his powers when she was younger, and she had assumed the worse. However she did know what her friend was really like, and she couldn't find it in her heart to be so cold.

Her name was Robin Hogan. She had long flaming orange hair that was tucked into a braid and then wound up into a bun behind her head. Her eyes were a bright green color, and she wore red glasses which seemed to accent her hair and eyes.

She'd also had a son that they'd been unable to find, a boy named Crow. He had once had her flaming orange hair but his father's steel gray eyes. She had never really gotten over losing both her husband, Oriole, and her son, but she was a strong woman and was determined to help John defeat Roman. She wouldn't rest until she had brought all those innocent people justice. Together she and John had formed the Order of Silence.

John and Robin were both surprised out of their own thoughts though as John's cell phone began to ring. Hardly anyone knew that number, and he wasn't sure who would be calling him or why. The next big surprise was seeing that the caller was Jim. He was supposed to be at the university, helping teach Yugi's daughter and living life. He still continued to help them after he'd found out they and the others in their group were alive, but he had his own job. So why would he of all people risk calling him? Wasn't he busy?

“What is it?” Robin asked, blinking at his shocked face.

“It's Jim,” John replied in obvious surprise. “Why is he calling?”

“I'm not sure,” she replied with a frown. “But whatever it is must be important. Answer it.”

He sighed but did as she said. He hit the button to answer it and frowned as he held it up to his head. Nearly instantly he heard that Jim's voice, when he answered, sounded a little worked up. This worried John. What was he so worked up about?

“Hello?”

“John,” Jim said. “Something's happened, something big.”

“What is it?” he asked. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing's really wrong, per say,” Jim managed with some difficulty. “Well, actually, there could be something wrong with it. I...well I found someone. We'd heard that Yugi Moto had taken a new student. Well I found out who it is.”

“Huh?” John said, completely confused. “Who?”

“Yusei Fudo.”

The name slapped John Atlas in the face. It was a name he hadn't heard in years, one that belonged to a boy that he had been sure was dead. Yet he was alive? And not only that, but Yugi's new student? John paled, his hand gripping at the phone tighter as he thought again of his old friend. Hakase never known his son had grown up. He'd never known he'd survived. John hadn't even been aware he'd even had a chance to escape the blast.

Robin turned to his friend in concern as she saw the look on his face. She was unsure how to read it. Was he scared? Angry? Happy? She couldn't figure out what the man was thinking. However John knew that he had to help Yusei. He had to protect the boy as much as he could. He certainly owed that to the boy's father.

“How?” was all he managed.

“Apparently,” Jim said. “He grew up in the Satellite, raised with two boys who weren't related to him by blood. There are three brothers, though I don't know the name of the last one. However one of his 'brothers' is your son, Jack.”

John couldn't help but feel happy about that. If there was anything he wanted for his son, it was to live his life with his best friend's son. But now more than ever he was worried about what was going on. Why had they both ended up here. And what about the third brother?

“But how did he end up here?” John couldn't help but ask. “And why did Yugi take him in? He doesn't do that unless something big is going on...”

“He's injured,” he said. “He and his Partner, a female Spirit named Star, fought against a Shadow Being. I don't know what his Partner is, and I don't know how they survived. Yusei's right arm is pretty beat up though.”

“A Shadow Being?” John asked quietly. “But didn't Jack run into a Shadow Spirit?”

“You're right,” Jim said, sounding unnerved. Then he sighed. “He looks so much like him John. It's like seeing a ghost. And it didn't help when Shirley curled up behind him. He was just sitting there reading a book, just like Hakase did when...”

He trailed off, but John understood. It was like feeling the wound of losing their friend opening all over again. It would be hard for anyone to have seen that so unexpectedly, to have to be the first to know all of this. John could understand why Jim was so worked up now, and his face went from shocked to being extremely serious.

“These couldn't be isolated incidents,” he said. “There has to be reason. They were targeted, but I don't know how, or why. I can't help but suspect Roman though.” He then paused and thought of something else. “Why are you calling me? Aren't you at work? And how did you see him?”

“Jesse Anderson called me in,” Jim replied. “It seems that he knows something, but he won't tell me what. That's really odd for Jesse. We both know that. But apparently he called me to look at the dragon relief they put into Dragon's Hollow. He thinks there's something weird about it.”

“The relief?” John asked.

“Yeah, the one they found in Peru.”

John Atlas nearly dropped his phone in horror at the mention of the country. Peru, that was something he was never going to forget. Roman had mentioned it to him, Hakase, and Robin before he'd gone nuts and destroyed everything. He'd completely forgotten about that relief, and he was completely unsure what it was supposed to mean.

“John?” Jim asked. “John what's wrong?”

“Did you say Peru?” John asked, making Robin shudder at the word.

“Yes,” Jim said, surprised at his tone. “Why? What is there about Peru that you know?” John swallowed past a hard lump in his throat.

“Before Roman caused the meltdown,” John managed. “He showed us the two marks. One looked like a dragon's head, and the other a spider. Hakase, Robin, and I were all there as he said something. It made no sense at the time. He just kept talking about the beasts of Peru rising again. Then he cut off his right arm and went insane.”

“What?” Jim asked in surprise. What did Peru have to do with anything? Now he was even more confused as to what Jesse knew. “What does a dragon and a spider have to do with anything?”

“I-I don't know,” John said, nodding to Robin. She opened her tablet and quickly began to look up something as she did so. They were thinking the same thing. They had to know. “But the red mark...well it didn't seem bad. He was normal when he had that one. The purple mark, the spider, is what made him insane.”

“So this dragon mark is good,” Jim pieced together. “and the spider mark is bad?”

“I'm not sure,” John said in a shaky voice. “but it seems that way.”

Robin was busily scrolling through a website about Peru, looking for anything that could give them an answer. As she hit the Nazca Lines and began to scroll down however she froze as she looked down with fear and anger at the mark she was seeing. Marked into the earth was the same spider image that had caused the Zero Reverse. She quickly showed John the picture.

“The Nazca Lines,” he gasped. “One of the images, it's a spider. The same Spider!”

“And this relief was found in Peru,” Jim said, sounding much more focused and serious now. “The same place where the Nazca Lines were found...They're connected somehow. I'm not sure how, but they are. I don't know what this dragon has to do with anything though...”

“Just please look into it,” John said, almost begging. “We can't let Roman get away with anything else. He HAS to be stopped. He's done enough damage as it is.”

“I understand,” Jim replied. Then he added one other thing quietly. “I'll keep an eye on them. Both of them.”

“Thank you Jim,” he said.

Jim hung up and John did so as well, sighing a little. He supposed that he should explain the good news to Robin. She'd heard the bad, so it was time she had a little good news. He turned to her with a nervous smile and began to explain that Hakase's son was alive, which she received with a happy smile and tears in her eyes.

* * *

 

Yusei looked up as he saw Blaze and Jack land outside on the “backyard” of Yugi's house. He supposed that they were all here. He shut his book and gave Shirley's nose another pat, then let Star help him to his feet and then made his way towards his friend who might as well be his older brother.

Jack, upon seeing him, ignored Kaiba's raised eyebrow and put Yusei into another headlock. Aki rolled her eyes when she saw it, and the twins laughed. Yusei just sighed as Jack did so. Jack ignored him and just ruffled his hair a little. Jim re-entered the house and spotted the two, and he couldn't help but smile a little.

Finally Jack released Yusei, who stepped back before Jack could grab him again and do anything else. Kaiba was standing there with his arms folded, glaring at all of them. Aki and Jack were already used to this kind of treatment from him, and Yusei just assumed it was the face he gave everyone since he never saw a picture of the man with any other face. Eirwen smiled and purred at all of them though in a calming manner.

Joey joined them with his Partner Slash close behind. Slash seemed to be growling lowly at Kaiba, again something all three were used to. Dragons didn't exactly forget old grudges easily. Joey seemed to be trying to smile and ignore his seemingly unstoppable dislike for Kaiba but was failing. He looked like he was grimacing.

Yami came over, looking them all up and down with his appraising eyes. They were calm, rather emotionless orbs that already Yusei accepted as perfectly normal. There was something wise, serious, and almost all knowing in that gaze. He supposed though that being as old as he was, it was only natural he looked at them like that. Merlin was behind him, his face as calculating as Yami's as he looked over them all.

Finally Jaden walked over to join them. His face wore it's usual laid back smile as he looked over them all, though his eyes fell mostly on the twins, who had ducked behind Yusei. Neos was standing there with his arms crossed, but his face was even blanker than Yusei's was, if that was at all possible. Neos might have honestly creeped Yusei out a little if he hadn't known that the Elemental Hero was a kind spirit and just might not have understood how to make facial expressions since his true form basically didn't have a face. Yubel, behind Jaden, gave Yusei a secretive smile which he didn't respond to at all. Things were confusing enough already.

“Well now,” Yami said, gaining the attention of everyone here. “I think it's time we begin. I believe I have an interesting idea for some training. This particular exercise will be to test your abilities to work together in teams, and without your usual partners.”

“Are we going to be trading Partners again?” Aki asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Not exactly,” Yami replied, motioning to Anzu, who came forward with a hat filled with folded slips of paper. “All of the Duel Spirits gathered here, whether they're from the Spirit or Shadow realms, have had their names put into this hat. We're going to divide you into two teams, then you'll each draw a name. That Duel Spirit will be your Partner for this exercise.”

Even Yusei's eyebrows shot up into the air at this. It was an older form of test that had been used by the Duel Academy for many years. However why Yugi and Yami had decided to test them in this same fashion, when most of them were actually very young students at the Duel Academy, was beyond them. This kind of test was in Jack's skill level, and even Yusei and Aki, who were older and more mature in their magic than the twins, weren't really ready for this.

However they knew too that they could trust all of the spirits here to keep anything from going wrong. Even so, they couldn't help but all be a bit nervous. What were they expecting of all of them? As Yusei met Yami's eyes however, he realized that the ancient Pharaoh was suspecting a lot more about this war, and probably knew more too, than he was letting on.

“ _ **His mind is sharp,**_ ”The Crimson Dragon said in his mind, causing the lights to flicker a moment at the sheer power drawing ever closer to their realm. Yusei glanced up along with everyone else. “ _ **Truly this man has been blessed by the gods. I doubt this is a casual exercise. He too knows you must be prepared, though I doubt he knows the true horror for which you need to be ready.**_ ”

“The teams will be Yusei, Luna, and Leo,” Jaden said, glancing at the twins. “mostly because Yusei can keep the twins in check, and then Aki and Jack.”

“Your objective is simple,” Kaiba said, ignoring the glare that Joey shot him as usual. “Both teams will enter a maze that will be raised in the basement. Your job is to escape with your team, using whatever methods your team as at its disposal. The first team out wins, as this is a competition.”

“There are rules,” Joey continued, still glaring at Kaiba. “For example, no attacks directly on spell casters. You can't go over the walls, though flying monsters can take to the skies. The Duel Spirits also have to stay close to you and help you. I doubt I have to explain everything to you since I know you'll all follow the rules. But if you cheat there will be consequences.”

“Everyone understand?” Yami asked, looking over them all. They all nodded. “Alright then. All of you will come draw a name out of the hat.”

There was a long moment of silence as they all just kind of looked around the room. Finally though Jack stepped forward. He reached out and dug into the hat, pulling out a piece of paper. He blinked down at the name that he had pulled out.

“Merlin,” he said.

The Dark Magician nodded and moved to stand next to him. Jack glanced kind of nervously over at the silent monster, unsure what to make of him. Merlin looked as calm and collected as always though and just nodded to Aki. She stepped forward next and pulled out a piece of paper, looking down at it.

“Monarch,” she said.

The young dragon glanced at her own partner then made her way over to Aki. Yusei could understand why she looked so dejected. She didn't want to have to fight against her Partner, but she knew much better than to try and defy Yami. Aki patted her shoulder it what was meant to be a reassuring way, but Monarch just let out an audible sigh. Luna stepped forward next and stood on her toes to pull out a piece of paper. She opened it and blinked down at the name.

“Blaze,” she said.

Jack's Partner shrugged and walked over behind Luna, giving her a smile since he was in his human form. Again, trading dragons could be rather dangerous, but Monarch knew Aki better than Star had, and Blaze knew Luna much better than they did, so it wasn't really as dangerous as it had been before with Star and Thorn. Leo shot forward next and drew out a piece of paper.

“Bones,” he said.

Jim's silent partner made his way over and stood behind Leo, who jumped a little as he stared up at the much larger Duel Spirit. Leo seemed rather intimidated by Bones, not that Yusei could say he blamed him. However Bones had obviously participated in several training exercises like this in the past during the days he had been in Duel Academy. Finally it was Yusei's turn.

Yusei stepped forward and dug his left hand into the hat, pulling out a name. He couldn't help but hope it was Thorn or Star, some Duel Spirit that he knew very well at this point, and that he knew would be able to help him. He flipped it open with his thumb and blinked in surprise as he looked down at the name. The surprise was evident on his face, but he knew too it was just his luck that he'd draw this particular name.

“Yubel,” he called.

He saw the Shadow Spirit flash him a mischievous smile as she shot forward. There was a loud crack, and to anyone who hadn't been able to see her before she seemed to rise out of the shadow that stretched behind him. The higher she rose, the wider she spread her wings, until she was floating behind him with her wings slightly outstretched and her arms crossed in their favorite position. She gave him a fanged smile, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“ _ **Oh this will be interesting,**_ ” she said. “ _ **I haven't been in a battle in a long time. Don't worry Yusei. I've got your back.**_ ”

Yusei glanced over his shoulder at her and nodded, though he could tell from several looks around the room that not everyone was convinced she was a good partner for any of them to have. She was a mysterious creature, one that had strange powers that they couldn't really understand even to this day, and she'd been hanging around a while.

Even so, Yusei couldn't help but be a little bit relieved. He knew Yubel, at least better than other Duel Spirits here. He knew she had his back and that she could be counted on. It was enough to make him turn his attention back to Yami and not start when she moved behind him just slightly. Most other people would have started at the sight of the Shadow Spirit.

“Very well,” Yami said. “The rest of the names will be scattered around the maze. When you find them you can 'summon' that Duel Spirit for one battle to help you advance. Only these spirits will remain with you the whole way though to help you through the maze. Understood? Good. Then let's go downstairs for the remainder of the session.”

Yami turned and began making his way towards the elevator, leading the small group. It was Yusei that moved first this time, Yubel just behind him as she always was with Jaden. The others seemed to recover from whatever thoughts they were having and follow him towards the hallway as well. However as Yubel followed Yami, he couldn't help but shudder.

Just what did the man know, and who else already suspected that he didn't know about? There were many hidden things that were going on, and Yusei couldn't help but be nervous because of it. This however was not missed by Yubel. Her knowing eyes narrowed, and she shot Jaden a glance that she knew only he could interpret.

It was time they got another opinion on this whole matter. They needed to know more, and there was only one place they hadn't looked into yet: the Shadow Realm. It was time they talked to Haou.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many new characters are getting added into this story. I realize that the storyline of this is getting way more hectic, but I hope you're enjoying reading it. Next chapter will have their training going on, which will also appear in Eyes of Darkness at least once or twice.   
> This story is broader than any of the others in this series so far, and it has much more of the other stories in it than what the others have. Also, the part about Robin and John's reaction about Peru was, if you hadn't guessed already, the reason that Hakase also instantly had a bad feeling about Peru, though he didn't remember what they had.  
> Eventually all of this insanity will begin to intersect and you'll learn more about all of the subplots that are going on. As you can see, Yusei's father, Jack's father, and Crow's mother are the ones who survived the Zero Reverse.   
> I'll try to answer as many questions as I can without giving away too much plot if you actually have an account that I can PM. If not, look for it in the Author's Notes. I know this update took quite some time, but I've gone a lot longer without updating before.


	23. Best Laid Plans...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go again, chapter 23. This chapter will mainly focus on the training of the young signers themselves, though Joey will be running off after a while after receiving a mysterious phone call. The next chapter will see the return of some characters that you've been asking about for quite a while already.   
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy and feel free to leave a review below if you'd like to. I don't depend on reviews to write my stories, but I do like reading them.

Yusei noticed quickly that Jaden had disappeared from sight, though everyone else had seemed to follow them all down the basement. He was a little confused as he looked around, wondering what on earth was going on. He glanced back at Yubel, who simply ruffled her wings and gave him a pointed look that warned him to not say anything about it. Yusei didn't doubt everyone else would notice soon, but he didn't think causing a fuss about it would be a very smart idea.

They reached the basement, where white walls had been raised and constructed into a maze. There were two starting gates, one for each team. As Yusei looked around the room he couldn't help but wonder what exactly this place had been built for. Yami stepped forward with several plain white playing cards, which he held up. As he cast a spell, all of the monsters that weren't set to be partners to one of the young Spell casters were sealed into the blank cards.

There would be no telling what was actually sealed within the card until they got their hand on them and summoned the beasts. Yusei couldn't help but grow a little bit nervous, wondering what kind of creatures they'd end up summoning to battle for them like this. With that done, Merlin, Yubel, and Bones were all handed the cards and sent into the maze to spread them out and hide them. After a few long minutes, they finally returned.

“You'll be trying to reach the other side of this maze first,” Yugi said. “There's no time limit, but there are no attacks on players. Monsters you summon can be used in battle only once before they retreat from the maze. The monsters that are your partners can use any of their powers in battle, but outside of battle they'll only be following you around and helping you overcome obstacles. Is everyone clear on the rules?” Everyone nodded. “Then both teams go to an entrance and wait for my mark.”

Yusei, Luna and Leo took their places in front of one of the entrances, with Yubel, Bones and Blaze standing behind them. Yubel had her arms crossed, already in her true form, and she seemed to be floating rather than actually standing on anything at all. She was giving the front of the maze a fanged smirk that would have unnerved Yusei if he hadn't known she had been there before, or what she had looked like before.

Blaze and Bones transformed into their true forms, and Blaze as usual looked rather terrifying. He gave a nervous growl, obviously not happy to have to fight his partner but not going to complain about it either. Bones on the other hand wasn't a creature that Yusei had really ever seen before. The Fossil Dragon Skullgeoth was quite an impressive dragon type creature, and it was both obvious why he was named Bones, as well as why he was a perfect match for someone like Jim Crocodile Cook as soon as he revealed his true form.

Bones appeared mostly to look like a t-rex, or well, a fossilized version of one. If you weren't looking close enough you'd probably be wondering why it had been classified as a dragon. When you looked at it, you could clearly see spikes protruding from the top of the bones all the way down his back. His arms were longer than that of a general t-rex fossil, and its jaws were shaped more like that of a thick dragon's head. He also had spikes coming out of his shoulder blades. The crown of his skull also had a small spike coming off of that as well.

Besides the fact that the creature brought up several questions about how the heck it ate or breathed at all, it was just fascinating to look at. Yusei found himself even more in awe at the strange variations and types of creatures that took up the Spirit Realm. The Shadow Realm was probably just as interesting. However most of the creatures that came from that realm seemed to be “evil” or at least following someone else's orders to be, so people were still nervous of them.

That brought a frown to Yusei's lips. It was said that Jaden was the “good” half of the Supreme King of the Shadow Realm, and that another being that lived in the Shadow Realm now was the “evil” half. Obviously, after what had happened through his own war and the way the two had fought together, even if that had once been true, it wasn't now. They were both their own person, though still only half of the Supreme King of Darkness.

It was rather common knowledge even now that “evil” half was named Haou, and had taken to ruling over much of the Shadow Realm, just as Jaden remained in the human realm to help guard it. The two were keeping a very delicate balance in check, but not all of the Shadow Spirits liked the idea. Some of them were apparently working for Roman Goodwin, though how that had ended up happening, he wasn't too sure. Maybe it was just part of his effect of being a Dark Signer.

Yubel was probably the only creature in this realm from the Shadow Realm that Yusei had met that wasn't trying to kill or capture him. However thinking about it once again brought the question of what Jaden was doing and why he wasn't here back into his mind. When the man was serious, there wasn't anything he wouldn't do if it meant he could help someone out. Those times didn't seem to happen very often, but he was nervous that now apparently it was.

Merlin was now in his true form as well, standing behind Jack with his arms crossed and seeming to wear the same face as always. Monarch behind Aki looked a lot more nervous than anything else, not that Yusei could really blame her. She was largely outmatched in a contest against spirits who were older and more experienced than her. Not only that, but she was having to do this contest against her own partner. While they were safe here, it had to be nerve wracking.

“Are you ready?” Yami called to them. “Then get going!”

Jack and Aki were quickly into the maze, their temporary partners just behind them as they fought their way through it. Yusei motioned for the twins to follow and quickly joined them inside, and the twins and all three spirits joined them as well. The gates shut behind them, effectively cutting off the outside world. While their teachers and mentors, along with the other random assortment of people that were now visiting Yugi, were there to help them if something happened, they weren't going to watch their progress all the way through the maze. The exercise was to see how well they could work together in this environment.

And though it was obvious where Yusei and his team was because of the two towering dragons high above the walls, there was little other ways to match their progress. As had been explained breifly on the way down the elevator, they were trying to make their way through the maze, though somewhere along the middle the corridors would link up. That's why they needed to find as many cards as necessary while trying to pass obstacles.

There was a good chance they'd run into the other team, and while no one was trying to hurt anyone, it was good practice in case they ever did run into someone unexpectedly and have to fight. It would test their reflexes as well as their ability to think on their feet. The summoning would be much simpler and have far more rules than actually summoning contracts to fight for them, but it was definitely both a good start and good trust exercise.

“Yusei?” Luna asked quietly.

He looked down at her, and noticed she looked more unnerved than he remembered seeing her. She had her arms crossed but was still touching her right forearm. Yusei paused a moment, surprised at this. He knew that it was because her mark was giving her trouble of some kind, but he wasn't sure what. He glanced to Leo, and saw him doing much the same. The two were obviously looking to him for some sort of answer, but they had done it in a way that Yubel wouldn't have noticed the marks that they were now clutching.

Before Yusei could even try to figure out how to ask what was wrong, a pang of pain went through his right forearm, making him hiss. He forced himself to grab his shoulder though as if that's what was bothering him. With the pain came the sense that something was wrong, and that one of their friends were in danger. He wasn't sure who it could be at first, seeing how the other Signers he knew up to this point were here, probably as far away from any danger as they currently could be. Then he thought back to the restaurant and remembered what he had deducted.

If the powers that they used was anything to go off of, then the missing final original element was darkness. Besides the fact that Crow used this power, the Crimson Dragon himself had also mentioned that Yusei had already met all five of the other Signers at some point. That pointed the theory of who the last Signer could be right back at Crow. Did this warning from his mark then mean that something had happened to Crow, and that he was in danger some how? In the back of his mind, the Crimson Dragon stirred.

“ _ **Yes Yusei,**_ ”the god said to him. “ _ **Crow is indeed the last Signer. He is in no immediate danger, at least not anymore.**_ ”

 _Not anymore?_ Yusei silently asked worriedly. Besides the fact that Crow was a Signer, he was like a brother to him. _What happened?_

“ ** _A Shadow Spirit found him,_** ”the dragon explained. “ ** _However so too did his partner, the last of the six dragons that help the Signers. As I'm sure you recall with your own meeting with Star, he is now in good hands. The warning that you're sensing is the after effect of the danger that had faced him. It took quite some time to reach you here._** ”

 _So its like some kind of left over feeling?_ Yusei asked in his mind.

“ _ **More or less,**_ ”the dragon replied. “ _ **I do however sense that there is something going on. I am allowing things to go as they are now though. I do believe that these events will bring him to the rest of the Signers soon. Be patient a while longer. With all the Signers gathered my power will grow. It is then, when I have accepted all of you as my Signers, and you have accepted my mission, will your true training as Signers begin.**_ ”

 _I-I will,_ Yusei promised. _I trust you._

The god silently retreated again, not completely gone from him, but no longer speaking either. It wasn't really that he was ever in his mind or not, only that he could hold a constant conversation with the creature if he so chose. Yusei could feel the creature somewhere in the spirit realm, able to touch his mind. In fact, he was always aware of the god's watchful presence. He was aware of the gods nature, which let him simultaneously watch over every Signer and their minds at the same time. It could only make Yusei wonder.

He was aware that every god was supposed to be a god of something. Most of the time it had to do with their chosen powers, and the thing that they chose to govern over. Ra was said to govern over the sun, though he didn't directly effect its path. It rose and fell as usual, but he could increase the heat of its waves over the entire earth and also cloak it in the sky. That didn't really sound all that impressive, except he was also basically all powerful. In a way he did control the sun, as well as everything that was effected by its rays.

Obelisk and Slifer were both gods and both had their own powers. They guarded something that they so chose, and every other god, good or bad, followed the same rules. They were said to have been created by the six original elements, meaning that they were powerful, had no true alignment, and were also immortal. Even now they continued to help the world run much in the same way that it always had. Some were protective guardians, and others followed their own power and rules.

But Yusei wasn't scared of the Crimson Dragon at all, and he truly did trust him. Maybe it was just because his mind was so closely connected to his, or maybe it was because he was simply so accustomed to the god's gentle glow. He'd also touched the creature within his dream, a calm and kind god that enjoyed human contact. Yusei had never before heard of a god like that. Most gods, even if they were fond of people, were prideful. So what was the Crimson Dragon the god of that made him so gentle?

“ ** _Yusei?_** ” Yubel asked. Yusei looked up, surprised to see the twins, Bones, Blaze and Yubel all looking at him worriedly.

“Its nothing,” he said. “Just hurts a little. Its nothing to worry about.”

The three spirits didn't exactly look convinced of this, but the twins obviously understood what he really meant. He was more talking to them than anything else, knowing that they were worried about the same feeling they had sensed through the marks on their own arms as he had been. They both couldn't help but relax a little bit from the assurance from the older Signer. Yubel crossed her arms and looked down at him.

“ ** _Fine,_** ” she growled quietly, worry still in her voice. “ ** _But if I find out that you're lying you're going to be in big trouble!_** ”

“I'll be fine,” he assured her, tugging his arm farther back into the sling. “Come on. Let's go. I bet Aki and Jack have a head start on us.”

He didn't really think that. He knew they would have stopped too at the feeling that they had just had. The pain was a side effect of not having all six of the Signers together, so it was probably safe to assume that when all six were gathered, they would be able to sense these warnings and such without the pain. Even so, he knew that the pang and warning would have definitely effected the two of them. But right now, they had to focus on getting out of this maze.

Yusei moved forward into the maze, the twins running a little to catch up to him. It was obvious to him that Bones, Yubel, and especially Blaze didn't believe that everything was as fine as they seemed to act right now. In fact, he was almost quite sure that Yubel could see right through him. She could tell that this had nothing to do with his arm hurting, not really. Her eyes narrowed as she followed him silently into the maze.

There were no words being spoken, drawing the silence into a long and awkward one. It wasn't broken for quite some time as they wandered through the white walled maze, forced to turn around and backtrack several times when they reached dead ends. Luckily though, some of those dead ends had the white cards laying on the floor, and they began a small collection. Yusei had two of them, Luna one and Leo had one (since the one who spotted the cards got to take them). There was no way to know which cards held which spirit, and honestly Yusei couldn't help but be a little nervous of the fact that they couldn't tell which monsters they had gotten.

They found several obstacles too. Some were huge, and it took Bones ramming his skull through them, or Blaze lifting them to get past them. Some of them were small enough that the three could climb over. Others needed the monsters to help them dodge something, and still others needed the help of the monsters to cross period. It took a lot of thinking and just plain luck to get through this maze, though Yusei knew that was the point too.

Yusei was severely handicapped without the use of his right arm, but he knew he couldn't push it. It wouldn't be too long until he'd be able to take of that sling and use it again, though he'd also still have to be very careful when it came to using it. Even so, it was annoying to often have to have Yubel ready to catch him. The twins were obviously exhausted but doing well, and they weren't complaining or fighting. Yusei wasn't surprised. When it came down to it, they were more than willing to help each other and work in a team.

“How much farther?” Leo gasped as he clambered over the ridge of a tall climb.

Bones raised his head to peer up at them and carefully made his way up to join the humans. Luna was likewise sprawled out on the floor with Blaze watching her carefully in the silence. Yubel had her arms crossed and was once again watching Yusei in case he lost his balance. He was leaning against the wall, but he had a hard time climbing or doing anything else for that matter with his arm in the sling Yusei took a deep breath. He could feel exhaustion creeping up on him.

“ ** _We've reached the crossroads,_** ” Yubel told her. “ ** _We'll probably run into Jack and Aki soon. Have your cards ready._** ”

All three of them pulled out the little white cards, carefully laminated and not marked in any way to reveal the creatures that were waiting inside of them. Yusei couldn't help but feel a slightly unnerved. All of these people were his friends, and he knew he could trust them. But right now they were in a battle against one another. Even if they weren't trying to hurt one another, it could still end up being very dangerous.

They slowly crept forward, largely silent. There was an air of nervousness in the maze, as if they were expecting to run into their worst enemy or some other kind of trap at any minute. They didn't have to wait long. As Yusei turned another corner slowly he found himself face to face with Jack and Merlin, with Aki and Monarch close behind. They all paused for a moment, as if unsure how to act at this instant. There were a few brief and tense moments of silence.

Yusei and Jack reached for a card they were carrying at the same time, eying the other carefully. Yusei wasn't sure how many Jack had, but if he had counted right there should have only been two that the other team could have been carrying. He grabbed the top card as Jack flicked his free wrist towards Yusei.

“Merlin,” he called.

The sorcerer had leaped forward instantly at the command, but before Yusei could so much as open his mouth to say anything, Yubel had already leaped forward to stop him. The two clashed in the center of the large crossroads, sending up waves of energy up and out of the maze. If there had been any doubt as to whether they had found one another, that was now gone.

Yusei was the first to summon his monster, pouring some of his energy into the card. That's all it took to summon duel spirits, little more than supplying energy to create a path for them and calling for them to come. When he eventually had contracts he would call upon a specific spirit, some of which needed to be summoned in special ways. Now however, he only had to push the energy into the card.

In response, a huge white shape erupted out of the card. It was Eirwen, Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragon. She was a dragon about half the size of Star or Blaze, but she was fearsome at the same time. She had short arms, but thick plated armor ran from the tip of her head all the way down her back. Her tail was rather short, as were her wings, but her glowing blue eyes and dark blue gullet as she roared at Jack told Yusei she was definitely not the kind of creature you wanted to anger.

Slash came from Jack's card directly afterward. This creature was much thinner than the Blue-Eyes Black Dragon and had a different shaped crown. Spikes ran down its whole body, and it seemed to have a beak like structure on its face. He was also dark black with spikes running down its back and rather short wings. Its tail and arms were much longer, as were its claws. His shining red eyes sent shivers down Yusei's spine as he roared at Eirwen in response.

The two dragons clashed in front of the two, making both Jack and Yusei back off in fear of getting accidentally hit in the battle that was waging. It was obvious that the creatures were only really sparring, but it didn't mean that it wasn't quite terrifying. Somehwere overhead Neos, and Quake were fighting with Merlin and Monarch both. With the roars of dragons puncturing the air more than usual, the battle was turning quickly to chaos.

Aki leaped forward and drew out her card, summoning the beast within. The card she had summoned Star to the field, who looked rather unhappy to have to be trying to stop her partner. Yusei already knew what the last creature was though as he pulled out his last card and cast the spell to summon the creature. Thorn roared at Star as he appeared, and the two quickly locked into a battle even more terrifying than the two dragons before.

Suddenly the crossroads and the skies above were descending into chaos as every monster that had been summoned had been unleashed onto the battlefield. Most of the monsters here could only remain in battle for a certain amount of time, but it didn't mean that the two teams were out of the woods yet. Yusei whirled around to face Jack, who was ready to push his way past Yusei but apparently trying to figure out how to do that without hurting him.

The recently summoned monsters were pulling out of the battle, leaving it behind and leaving a far less confusing or cluttered area. Yusei and Jack continued to size each other up, trying to figure out how to get past the other. Jack was frowning, obviously not wanting to hurt the boy who might has well have been his younger brother. Yusei on the other hand was wondering how he could try to slip past Jack with his injured shoulder without accidentally making it worse somehow. Their problem however proved to be less of an issue than they thought.

“Yusei,” Aki cried. “Jack! Look out!”

The two looked up in surprise at the cry, finding that they were quite a ways separated from the others. They looked up in time to see something within the shadows launch an attack at them. What appeared to be a huge ball of pure darkness came spinning towards the two of them. Whoever had launched the attack had done so from above, and they hadn't really seen who had done it, or the duel spirit they had commanded to do so.

Yusei could tell that none of the duel spirits were close enough, or had recovered from the surprise of the fact that someone had blatantly attacked them with Yugi so near, to do anything in time to help them. It certainly hadn't stopped Jack from instantly getting ready to try his hardest to push Yusei out of the way though. Before he or anyone else could move though, Yusei saw the Crimson Dragon's eyes flash in his mind.

He winced, looking down at his arm, and stared in surprise at what he saw. The mark of the dragon's head was glowing brightly enough to be clearly seen glowing through the sling and all the fabric and bandages between. A pang running through his back told him that the mark on his back was also glowing. He looked up, seeing that Jack, Aki, Luna and Leo all had the same surprised faces as well, seeing how their marks were clearly glowing as well.

An electrical current ran through Yusei, making him yelp and stumble. Jack quickly leaped forward, grabbing his younger brother before he could fall and hurt himself more, surprised at his sudden weakness. Yusei could hear everyone else moving as well now, all of the instructors and other such people watching moving to try and help in some way. Before anything happened however a familiar roar ripped through the air, stopping everyone in the tracks. It was mournful and eerie, sounding like something either from the depths of the ocean or deep within space. Yusei looked up with wide and surprised eyes.

It was the Crimson Dragon, or well, what could mass itself now. It was much smaller than it had appeared to be when he had seen him in his dreams. He was also not really a corporeal creature, rather more of a wisp of crimson color vaguely in the shape of the massive dragon. Even so, it reared up and roared again, placing its snake like body between the two boys and the attack and raising its wings to shield them.

As soon as it uttered the second roar, the lights began to flicker and the maze walls retreated back into the ground. It seemed that this creature, whatever it was, effected electricity, therefore closing down the maze and revealing the large basement for what it was, and also showing Yusei the shocked and somewhat terrified adults who had been in the process of making their way into the maze, as well as the duel spirits.

The dark attack seemed to fizzle out in the air with a pop before it had ever reached the Crimson Dragon, suddenly disappearing as if it had never been. The Crimson Dragon's wisp roared again, making the lights flicker again and he rose into the air. As he did so he stretched his wings, dissolving silently, back to the golden lake where he would silently wait. Slowly Jack released Yusei and let him find his own feet, and both stared down at the marks on their arms.

“ ** _I apologize,_** ” the Crimson Dragon purred to Yusei. “ ** _I would not have summoned myself like that unless I needed to. I could not let you and Jack get hurt however, so I did. The normal methods you will use to summon me will not hurt or affect you much at all, that much I promise._** ”

 _Why did you summon yourself?_ Yusei asked in surprise. _I thought you wanted to keep this as quiet as possible._

“ ** _I did,_** ” the creature replied. “ ** _However it was necessary. The time for secrecy has obviously passed, especially since the Dark Signers have already attacked you._** ”

As the Crimson Dragon's presence retreated again, Yusei found himself more nervous than ever. A Dark Signer had just attacked them? Had they already known that they were the Signers? Is that why he had left then so quickly, because he hadn't wanted to face the wrath of the already powerful Crimson Dragon? Or was it because of Yugi and the others? He looked down at his arm again. The mark had yet to stop glowing.

“W-What was that?” Yugi's daughter, Asura, gasped. Everyone looked at her. “Dad? Do you know what it is?”

“Nothing to be worried about,” Yami assured her. “In fact at this point, that's the only god involved in this war that you don't have to worry about.”

There was a heavy silence at this information. War? It was a word that hung in the air like a weight that was waiting to come crashing down. None of them had wanted to see yet another war that was coming to face them in this life time. Slowly, they all looked at the four children, who were still blinking in surprise at the marks that were glowing now.

Marik stepped forward finally and walked to each, examining them. Jim on the other hand was staring at Yusei's back with the sinking feeling that he'd just found out why Jesse wanted him to check out that Relief. He wasn't going back to the university any time soon.

“God?” Jim finally managed to ask. “Well for those of us who don't know, would you mind explainin' it to us, mate?” Yami nodded to Marik.

“I recently went to Peru,” he began. “Which was where the relief that also appears here on Yusei's back was found. Its also home to the Nazca Lines. When I was there, I found a scroll from the people who lived there, who gave it to me while warning me that the 'beast was awakening'. That scroll mentioned not only a war that would soon be coming, but all of the marks that we see here.”

There was no sound suddenly, as if the whole world had fallen silent to listen to the Egyptian man. Even Yusei had to admit that he was watching with wide eyes. He hadn't been aware that Yugi and his friends had been looking into it, though he supposed he should have expected it. When no one spoke up, he continued.

“I don't have it with me,” he explained. “but I have the passage memorized that speaks of this war. ' _ _In the days of fire the Earthbound Immortals rose against the world they had created. So great was their power that none could stand against them. So the Ancient Dragon and his priests fought them. The dragons too gave their powers to the priests to serve them in their war. The evil gods were sealed into signs upon the earth, and the Dragon slept to guard their slumber. In the coming days the gods will stir and escape. The Dragon and his priests will return to the world, and the war between the dark ones and their servants, and the great Dragon and his will wage again__ _'.”_

“Then what are these?” Kaiba asked, motioning to all of the glowing marks.

“Each one has a meaning,” Marik replied. “and each one marks one of these so called priests of the ancient dragon.” He motioning to Yusei. _“'_ _ _To the one who is the most cunning will this mark appear. Your mind will give you strength__ _.'”_ He motioned to Jack. _“'_ _ _To the one who is willing to fly will this mark appear. Your courage will carve a path that the others cannot see.__ _'”_ He motioned to Aki. _“'_ _ _To the one who is the bravest will this mark appear. Your power will guard the others well.__ _'”_ He motioned to Leo. _“'_ _ _To the one who is the kindest will this mark appear. Your heart will give light unto the others when they see nothing but the darkness.__ _'”_ He finally motioned to Luna. _“'_ _ _To the one who stands firm__ _ _and grips tomorrow__ _ _will this mark appear. Your strong beliefs will hold the others when they are threatening to fall__ _'._ There is also one final mark, the tail _. '_ _ _To the one who stands guard will this mark appear. Your strong character will not let any unseen enemy pass you by__ _.'”_

There was nothing but silence for a long moment as everyone tried to process the information. Surprised, the Signers all looked down at their own marks. Was that why the Crimson Dragon had chosen them? It didn't seem real suddenly, as if the secrets they had been trying to keep for so long simply meant nothing anymore. The Crimson Dragon, though ever watchful, just let the people here speak and say what they were trying to say, so none of the young Signers had anything to say about the strange subject. Jim finally stepped forward.

“Then what's this mark on Yusei's back?” he asked.

“' _ _When the dragon awakens and his servants join in battle the full dragon will appear,__ _'”_ Marik continued unflinchingly. _“'_ _ _It will mark the leader, and it will give the power to this one to summon the beast. Then will Yaar Llajsajj Saq'aka appear.__ _'”_

At the mention of the name, the lights flickered, and Yusei felt a very trembling in his soul. He could tell by the way that the other four shuddered that they could sense it as well. Before anyone had even said anything, he knew exactly what the name belonged to, and what it meant for them to actually utter it here.

“What is that?” Joey asked in surprise.

“A name,” Marik replied. “Literally translated it means 'Blood Dragon', or at least something close. However it translates best to the name that the god answers to now. The Crimson Dragon.” Again the lights flickered, and Asura shuddered.

“Does no one else have a problem with this?” she cried. “They're just kids! What do they have to do with anything! Luna and Leo especially shouldn't be involved with any of this.”

“Asura,” Yami said, instantly silencing her. “You of all people should know by now that the gods and fate chose, not humans. If they were chosen, there must be a reason for it. You just saw how that god protected Yusei and Jack. It is a kind creature, so it must have faith in them.”

“But Yami-” she gasped.

“But nothing,” he said, raising a brow at her. “This decision was never ours to make. Besides, this war has already been waging for some time. It began five thousand years ago, and then it began around sixteen years go.” There was dead silence. “Yes, it began again at the Zero Reverse. That's what really happened there. Roman Goodwin once had the same mark that Yusei had on his arm, but it was apparently replaced with another, one of a Spider. This mark belongs to one of seven gods known as the Earthbound Immortals, which are those that were sealed by the Crimson Dragon long ago to keep them from destroying our world. With him awakening though, they have been released and have already begun causing havoc.”

Yusei felt the words were hurt as much as they had the first time he had heard them from Jesse Anderson, but hearing them from Yami just drove them home so much more. The horrified silence was nothing close to what Yusei felt. His parents were dead because of a war that had been waging since long before he had been born. Now he was having to fight in the same war that had stolen them. He felt Jack grab his other arm, looking like he might get sick at the news and hanging onto him as if he was going to fall. Yusei pressed his lips into a tight white line.

“That is the unfortunate truth,” Yami said sadly, glancing towards the silent brothers. Everyone else's eyes followed his, and the terrible reality of the Zero Reverse finally seemed to crash into both Aki and the young twins. “So as you can see, they do indeed have something to do with it. This war has been waging for much longer than I had thought, and unfortunately we couldn't catch it before now. However, we need to be ready. No doubt, this dragon, which we hardly saw anything of just then, has his own plans and ways to prepare them. For now all we can do is wait and watch. These children will be the ones to decide our fates.”

No one seemed to move, and no one seemed to really breathe either. Everyone was just silently watching the two boys trying to come to grips with the truth of the whole situation. Jim felt anger welling up inside of him when he saw the two of them. It just reminded him, once again, of why he needed to get revenge for these poor kids and everyone else whose lives had been forever changed by Roman and his Zero Reverse. Slowly though, the twins seemed to look around.

“Where's Jaden?” Luna asked. Everyone slowly begin to look around, except for Jack and Yusei who had yet to move.

“ _ **He went to speak with Haou,**_ ” came the reply from Yubel, who shifted her wings unhappily at the entire situation.

“Well,” Yami sighed. “it seems even Jaden has taken notice of the situation.” He turned his attention to the two silent boys. “Jack, Yusei...come on. Let's get you back to your dorms. You've got enough to think about right now.”

Slowly the two of them looked up at him, and even Yusei was finding that his mind was having a hard time processing what had just been said. What was he supposed to do? He'd heard all of this before, but now it had finally been driven home for him. Yami didn't move, just giving them a look of mixed anger and sadness as she silently coaxed them over. Yusei finally moved to join his teacher, and Jack just kind of followed him.

Blaze and Star, still in their dragon forms, landed behind their partners with loud thuds and worried and saddened purrs. Blaze lowered his hand and let Jack clamber into, holding him gently within his talons. Star wrapped her claws around Yusei's torso again, creating a wall of ivory as she settled behind him. She laid her head on his shoulder and as pressed into the side of his face as she could without hurting the boy or knocking him over. He gratefully buried his head into the side of her face, not wanting to look at anyone.

Joey's cell phone began ringing, getting a few quiet and choice words from the man as he fumbled to get it out of his pocket. He was obviously no more in the mood for this than Yusei or Jack was, but he managed to hold it to his ear and answer it anyway.

“Hello?” he growled. There was a long silence. “Wait he's what? You've GOT to be kidding me! All right, All right, I get it. I'll be on my way.” He hung up the phone. “Rex Goodwin's causing trouble in the Satellite again. At least he didn't turn out like his brother.”

“Go take care of it,” Yami said quietly. “Kaiba and I can take care of this.”

Joey, still cursing and very clearly in a bad mood went storming out of the basement and to the elevator to go on whatever mission he'd apparently just been called about. Yusei felt a gentle hand lay on his shoulder but didn't look up.

“Come on,” Yami said softly from beside him.

* * *

 

He couldn't currently be more pissed off than he already was, and made a point to prove this by punching the nearest wall. In the darkness of the abandoned Ener-D Reactor it was already hard to see, and no features on his face, or the man's across from him could be seen at all under those hoods. He gritted his teeth anyway, hearing the scurrying of spiders somewhere around him.

“I can't believe I missed,” he snarled. “No, actually, I can't believe Sentinel missed! What a lousy excuse for a partner!” He heard a dragon whine sadly somewhere behind him but no longer cared.

“Calm yourself Kiryu,” a deep voice said, coming from the hooded man across from him. “You'll have your revenge, all in good time.”

“Calm down?” Kiryu snarled back “CALM DOWN? How can I calm down? They're still out there! They need to pay!”

The man in front of him stood swiftly, slamming his one remaining arm down hard on the table he had been sitting at. A dark purple mark of a spider glowed in the darkness, making Kiryu shrink away and cower from the sight of it. Even he could tell that he'd angered the man, and that was the last thing that he wanted right now. He didn't lead them for no reason.

“Let me make one thing clear, Kiryu,” the man said in a voice that was smooth and dangerous, like silk. “You can kill the Signers, all of them but one. I don't care what it takes, but you WILL bring Yusei Fudo to me unharmed. I don't care what you do to the others. Use your imagination, have fun. But if I EVER hear that you tried to kill that boy again...”

“I-I get it,” Kiryu gasped in terror. “I get it! I won't kill him. I'll bring him to you, like you wanted! It doesn't matter anyway. I couldn't have killed him. That damn dragon appeared! There were five Signers already there.”

There was no sound for a long time other than the hissing and movements of an enormous spider somewhere in the darkness. This made Kiryu shiver more in terror. He definitely did NOT want to see what happened if Roman got mad enough to get Uru's attention. Generally, their gods, the Earthbound Immortals, ignored the Dark Signers. However, he wouldn't like to see what happened if that Spider decided to punish him. Slowly though, Roman sat again behind his table.

“Interesting,” he said in a much calmer tone. “Very well then. Your mission wasn't a complete failure. We have some very interesting information now. However I expect results Kiryu. Make sure you bring me that boy, UNHARMED. Now go.”

Roman chuckled a little as he watched Kiryu go running out of the room, his broken partner fleeing after him. What a problematic child, especially one to be a Dark Signer. However he definitely could be tamed, and he did have his uses. Roman Goodwin drummed the fingers of his one remaining hand on the top of the wooden table again, finding his eyes drawn to the spider mark on that arm that had started all of this anyway.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was horrified at what had happened. However Uru's utter glee at the human suffering he had caused had long ago buried that. Right now, he needed to get his hands on Hakase's son. He was going to break that man, and he knew just how to do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And on that bombshell, there's the end of that chapter. This took way too long to write, but I guess I just lost inspiration along the way and ended up getting it back in some weird way that involved Final Fantasy. I still don't know how Final Fantasy inspired me to continue writing a Yu-Gi-Oh Fan Fiction, but whatever.  
> Anyway, in the next chapter we'll get to meet a new character, some that you guys have been asking about for a while, and things will generally just get more chaotic as we hear about some things that are going on in the whole world. Some sixteen years later we'll finally get some evidence to prove that Hakase was innocent, and the whole world's about to get slapped in the face with some information they weren't ready to hear.  
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed, and feel free to leave a review below as always.


	24. Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we finally go with chapter 24. In this one, we'll get to see Crow and Feather again, meet Rex Goodwin, and also get to meet Haou later on a little bit. Then we'll be finding out something else going on that's going to pretty much shatter how everyone sees the Zero Reverse, though the actual part where that happens won't be until chapter 25.   
> Anyway, I hope you guys are enjoying this story, because its a lot of fun to write when I have the ideas and inspiration to do so.

Crow was not happy to be here, and from what he could hear by the roaring in the hangar a few rooms down where Feather was currently separated from him, she wasn't either. Things had already been bad enough with that stupid Shadow Spirit, and now Rex Goodwin of all people, the man in charge of expanding and keeping New Domino City running, had come to the police station asking to see him. That's how he'd ended up here, and why Feather was being kept in the hangar where they usually kept the various police cars and machines. He wasn't sure whether or not he actually hated the patient and smiling man in front of him, or if he really just wanted to punch him.

Rex Goodwin had to be the most infuriating man that Crow had ever met. He smiled and acted polite, yet Crow had been around enough Prison inmates to know when someone was hiding something. He had long silver hair, the bangs of which were tied behind his head in a small pony tail, and gray eyes. He was pale and tall, with wide shoulders and wore a gray suit and white gloves. He didn't seem disturbed in the slightest by Feather's newest roar and attempt at escape that shook the whole building. They were alone in the room.

“Crow Hogan,” Rex said with a polite smile. “I presume? I've heard quite a lot about you and your unfortunate circumstances. Your name doesn't quite live up to the good one your parents created for you, but with your condition it's only natural you had to find some kind of outlet. I assure you, in New Domino City we can find treatment for that.”

“I don't have a condition,” Crow hissed defensively. “And why would someone like you want to take someone like me to New Domino City?”

“Of course you don't,” Rex soothed with his calm and caring voice. “My apologies for wording it so callously. But let's just say that you have rather peaked my interest, Crow. People like you have far better lives to live than the one that has regrettably been forged here.”

“Since when has the city cared about the Satellite?” Crow growled.

“We've always cared my boy,” Rex explained with a smile. “The circumstances however prevented us from taking the measures that we needed to ensure that the Satellite could become a happy place as well as the city.”

Crow narrowed his eyes at the man. He could tell that he was the kind of person to keep all kinds of secrets, and even if what he was telling him right now was true, there was some deeper meaning behind almost every single word he ever said. It was the kind of person that Crow knew well, and he knew that facing people like that wasn't good for him. Crow did have a condition (though he would deny it to Rex's face) to steal things, but he'd never been like this man in front of him was.

“Oh,” he growled. “and what's that? The way I see it, there's no need for you to ignore the Satellite. What's the point in that anyway? What kept you from helping if you were so worried about us.”

“Those are events that I cannot discuss now,” he replied with a purr in his voice. “You're not ready for that, though you soon will be. They are dangerous, which is why I seek to take you from this place, and make sure you can be united with those who are like you.”

“What events?” Crow growled. “What's so dangerous? And what do you mean others?”

Rex just continued to smile, but Crow got an even worse feeling in the pit of his stomach now. That Shadow Spirit had mentioned others as well, and Feather. The two had recently made their contract, but before that when she had attacked, she'd mentioned something about his partner who he hadn't met yet. How was it that so many people knew about something going on that he didn't? Either way, he wasn't happy with knowing that this man was saying the same thing as that Shadow Spirit. What did he really want?

“All I'm saying,” Rex said politely as always. “Is that I want to reunite you with those like you. Those who bear the same mark that you do on your right arm.”

“What mark?” Crow growled.

“Look for yourself if you don't believe me.”

Crow glared at Rex for a while longer, though the man seemed incapable of taking offense on anything that the boy was going to do or say. Finally he grabbed the arm warmer he was wearing on his right arm and pulled it up. He gasped when he found a strange red mark on his arm, almost like a tattoo. It appeared to be sort of in the shape of an arrow head with some strange face on it. He knew for a fact he'd never had a birthmark. So when did this appear?

“You see Crow,” Rex continued. “you are special. That mark sets you apart from the others around you. Your destiny is far greater than others. I simply seek to reunite you with those who carry the same marks. Wouldn't you like to see Jack and Yusei again?”

At the mention of his brothers, Crow's fear and confusion at the mark changed to anger. He didn't like this man one bit, and he certainly didn't trust him. He'd met too many people like him, and he wasn't going to let him drag his brothers into anything if he could help it. He glared up at the man again, knowing that now he was going to give him something to remember him by. Before he could even open his mouth though, the door to the room was kicked open.

“What are you doing now, Goodwin?” another voice demanded.

Crow looked up in surprise as two very familiar figures came into the room. One of course was Joey Wheeler, and close behind him was his dragon partner Slash (now in his Dragon form mind you). Crow honestly couldn't help but blink at the two of them as the Red-Eyes Black Dragon managed to get into the room and slip its head into the space between Crow and Goodwin. Apparently, Crow wasn't the only one who didn't trust this man. Rex just chuckled.

“Ah,” he said. “a pleasure to see you as always, Mr. Wheeler.”

“Don't you Mr. Wheeler me,” Joey growled at him. “What the hell have you been doing around here? Evacuating whole sectors, picking up kids off the street, and that doesn't even cover half of it. I thought we told you to stay out of the Satellite.”

“I was merely investigating a rumor in your stead,” he replied. “of course, if anything had come up, I would have naturally called you, Mr. Kaiba, or Mr. Moto.”

“Do you have a dragon in here?” Joey asked, looking up at the sound of Feather's furious roar.

“She is the boy's partner,” Rex explained. “She wasn't being very cooperative so I had to separate them.”

“You separated a female dragon from her Partner?” Joey growled. “You're even stupider than I thought! Its bad enough that she's a dragon, but a female dragon? You know they're way more ferocious than the males right?”

“Well you're entitled to your opinion about me of course,” Rex said with a smile. Joey rubbed his head like the man was giving him a migraine.

“And who is this?” he asked.

“Ah,” he said. “How rude of me. This is Crow Hogan. I presume you know the name?”

Joey froze instantly upon hearing the name. He certainly did know the name. It was yet another name that was heavily associated with the Zero Reverse, the name of a child that they had long ago thought dead because of it. He almost wasn't really that surprised, considering they had found both Jack and Yusei as well. Come to think of it...didn't they mention a third “brother”? Was that Crow here? He turned and found himself staring more at the mark on his arm. He let out a sigh. He supposed he'd found their sixth.

“All right,” he said. “He's coming with me. The farther he is from you Rex, the better. I'll take him as my second student.” Crow blinked in surprise at this.

“Admirable of you as always,” Rex said with a smile. “You do realize the boy has a history? He is a known kleptomaniac, and he's got quite the record.”

“Do you even know who you're talking to right now?”

“Of course sir,” Rex said with a good natured chuckle. “Very well. Shall I draw up the paper work? Or would you prefer to do it yourself?”

“I'll do it,” Joey growled. “You've done enough. Now get out of here before Yugi finds out you've been here.”

“Of course sir,” he replied, standing and bowing to him. “I'll be on my way then. If the boy is in your hands then I feel quite safe letting him out of my care.”

As Rex left the room, Crow clearly heard Joey mumbling something under his breath about his “care”. Crow couldn't help but stare in surprise at Joey Wheeler, one of the so called “big three”. Unlike Rex Goodwin, Crow practically knew for a fact that he could trust him, and he had no complaints with going with Joey over Rex. He was confused as to why he wanted to take him in as his student. Why him? Joey glanced at his arm.

“Cover that up,” he said. “We can't have people seeing it. There's something very dangerous going on right now. I'll explain later...there's a lot going on.”

Crow paused as he looked at the man, surprised to see the sadness that was clearly passing over his face when he said that. The dragon let out a sad mewl as well, the most broken and pained sound he'd ever head a dragon make. He didn't ever want to hear a sound like that again. He just blinked a moment, then carefully covered the mark again.

“Why me?” he asked, looking at the man.

“Let's just say,” Joey said with a slight chuckle. “That there's a lot going on right now. You know Yusei and Jack right? I'm guessing you're the third 'brother'.”

“Y-Yeah,” Crow replied. He had no problem talking about his brothers with Joey. He knew he could trust this man. Joey gave him a grin.

“Then I guess its time we reunite you guys,” he said. “Come on. Let's go get your Partner.”

Remembering that Feather was unhappy and probably worried for him made him leap up onto his feet to go meet her. Slash returned to his human form and moved out of the way, letting him go past him. Crow ran down the hallway right to the hangar which was currently locked. Upon seeing Crow though, the police guarding it looked relieved and opened it, running out of the way as Crow quickly ran into the room.

“Feather,” he called.

Joey could only stare as the dragon turned to look at the boy, her front legs making a loud snick on the ground in front of her as she looked down at him. She clicked her beak gently at him and let out a quiet purr as she lowered her head, pressing her beak into his chest and letting him stroke it. Crow smiled at her as he did so. Feather then noticed Joey and Slash and let out a low and warning growl. Joey showed her his hands.

“Here to help,” he promised.

“That's Joey Wheeler,” Crow explained quietly to her. “and his Red-Eyes Black Dragon partner Slash. They've both helped save the world before. I'd trust them with anything.”

Feather raised her head as if to take a closer look at them, letting out a low and warning growl. Joey didn't seem to take any offense at this, though Slash seemed to bristle just slightly. Crow wasn't sure if it was because she'd somehow offended him, or he was ready to fight her if she decided that's what she wanted to do. Feather seemed to size them up for a long time, raising one of her front legs and slamming it down into the pavement with an audible snick.

Joey obviously wasn't intimidated by her. He'd been around enough dragons by now to know that she wasn't threatening them in any way, just unsure of their motives and testing their resolve. Since Joey didn't even so much as bat an eye at her, and Slash made no moves, threatening or otherwise, she seemed to decide that they passed whatever test she had just put them through. Relatively calmer she returned to her human form, wrapping her arms around one of Crow's and (as she had the day she had become his partner) refused to let him even take so much as a step away. Crow heaved a heavy sigh. She was a rather protective dragon.

Her partnership with him was still rather surprising to him. They'd hardly met, and yet nearly instantly she'd asked him to make a contract with her. Then there was the fact that he was pretty sure Yusei and Jack had met their dragons under eerily similar circumstances. Could those be the “others” that everyone seemed to be talking about? And why were all of these strange dragons suddenly trying to come into the human realm now of all times?

Crow would have trusted Feather with anything. He couldn't really explain why he was so instantly able to trust her. Most of his contracts were completely shocked that he'd gotten her as his partner so soon, and rather nervous to allow him to stay near her. However, anytime some part of his brain wondered if there was something wrong with their partnership, his right forearm would give a pang and calm him. And it was at exactly the same place as that mark.

He glanced down towards his right forearm. The mark was covered again, and though he wanted to feel scared, he wasn't. There was something oddly comforting about that mark, that told him that it was okay, and for now at least, he was going to be okay. He looked up again and found that Joey was still watching him carefully, as if watching for a reaction. There was a strange sadness in his eyes as well as he involuntarily looked towards the now hidden mark on Crow's arm.

“Come on,” he said. “We've got some things to get straightened out, then we'll need to get you to New Domino City as soon as possible.”

“Right,” Crow said quietly.

Somehow though, looking at him, Crow got the feeling that this was going to be harder on Joey than it was going to be on him. He was just wearing the kind of face that said he knew too much, and some old wounds had reopened.

* * *

 

Jaden shuddered a little at the unfortunately too familiar sensation of entering the Shadow Realm. It just sent cold numbness spreading through his entire body. He stood there a moment, shaking and rubbing the sleeves of his red blazer in hopes of warming himself up a little. He raised his eyes to look around quickly, seeing if he would end up running into any of those spirits in the Shadow Realm that would want to harm him.

The only creature he saw was a single Shadow Being, probably not unlike the one that had attacked Yusei. The creature appeared to be some kind of wolf like creature with small bat wings on its back that were useless for flying. The being raised its head, snarling at the man. However a dark smile played on Jaden's lips as he reached deep inside his mind for the long unused powers of the Supreme King of Darkness.

He felt the power oblige, half of the power he had once had when he had been one creature. When the Shadow Spirits had made him their king, he had ruled with kindness, but the shadow spirits, had still wanted war. They split the king into two separate halves, the good and the evil, and put the evil upon the throne. That was how the two Princes of the Shadow Realm had been born. Over the years, the two halves had grown into two separate people, neither good or evil, and had even been born human. That wasn't that uncommon though, and it was said some of the most powerful spell casters in the world even had spirit ancestors.

This had been Jaden's war, one fought where he had to first face and tame his so called “Evil” half who wasn't really evil at all, as well as then work with him to shut down the war that had been terrorizing both the human and spirit realms for years. Things were beginning to calm down slowly now, and with Haou guarding the Shadow Realm and him in the Human Realm, things were going much more smoothly than before.

Jaden's eyes changed from the familiar, sweet chocolate brown everyone was so used to, into a bright and eerie gold that not only seemed to glow, but gave his face a far more sinister look. A dark and ancient magic began to swirl around his feet, and unlike the first time he had used it so many years ago, he now knew well how to control it. He wasn't actually going to attack because there wasn't any need to use them against anyone anymore.

As soon as the Shadow Being saw the change in him, the creature instantly recognized him for who and what he was. The creature shrank before him, though it easily dwarfed him. The Shadow Beings were created for warfare against humans, though as both Jaden and Haou had discovered, they were deeply loyal to the both of them, and would ignore their own genetic programming to hurt humans if so ordered. They were a strange breed.

Usually when Shadow Beings appeared, it was Jaden's job to go take care of them and send them back home before they did too much damage. That had made him the first official Guardian of Duel Academy. The Guardians were graduated students that were deemed to have high enough marks and enough guts to protect the world at large, and they were often sent on missions handed out to them by the Big Three themselves. The Guardians of Duel Academy made things a lot safer than they had been before the Academy existed.

Still, it was a rare occurrence that these creatures crossed into other realms, unless they were led there by someone else, so he wasn't too worried about it. Seeing that the Shadow Being was now much more well behaved, he turned his attention elsewhere. He appeared to be standing in some sort of field not too far from a forest. The grass and leaves in the trees were a deep midnight purple, and the bark and dirt was a dark red. The sky even seemed to be a muted brown here, and the stars shone with a pale blue light.

He still couldn't help but marvel at the beauty this place held, some beauty all its own. Most people from other realms, spirits or humans, would find the place largely eerie, as if they had wandered into some sort of haunted house or something. If the inhabitants weren't so jumpy and willing to attack anyone they didn't know then people wouldn't have anything to fear, and maybe then they'd finally see how breathtaking this place really was. Yes, it was oddly colored, and even the Spirit Realm seemed to largely look like the Human Realm because they were alternate realities of the same place. The Shadow Realm though was like the mirror opposite of the Spirit Realm.

Speaking of the inhabitants, Jaden really didn't want to get attacked today. He had enough dark magic, as well as the other magic he had learned and been taught at Duel Academy to take care of himself, but he'd rather not start a fight. He allowed the dark swirling magic to disappear, but the golden eyes stayed. They were a visible marker than any Shadow Spirit or Being could sense without seeing, and it would mark him. They wouldn't be trying to attack him then.

Jaden turned his eyes back towards the Shadow Being with a slightly amused smile playing on his lips as he saw it crawling towards him on its belly. When it saw him looking, the creature began to wag its tail and lick at the air as if to appease him, letting its ears and tail flatten out a bit as well. Though the Shadow Beings didn't speak, creatures from the Shadow Realm could sense what they were trying to tell them. Jaden could sense that this creature was apologizing to him and wanting to do something to make it up to him for growling at him. Jaden laughed.

“It's fine,” he said. “It's fine. Though, if you don't mind, I really need to figure out where I am. I need to go talk to Haou.”

The creature wagged its tail again and stood up, looking rather excited for the prospect. It clearly gave Jaden the indication that it would take him to the castle where Haou was reigning over much of the Shadow Realm, and that it was offering a ride. Jaden knew he'd definitely cover a lot more ground riding this creature, and he really had no idea where he was going, so it was his best bet at this point. He just smiled and nodded to it.

“Thanks,” he said.

The creature just continued to wag its tail as it turned its back to him and flattened itself as much to the ground as possible. As Jaden was stepping forward to climb onto the creature though he paused and looked down at his phone, which was buzzing in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked down, seeing that he'd gotten a text message from Yugi, and apparently a pretty long one. He wasn't that surprised that there was cell phone signal here. There were humans living in the Shadow Realm after all, and Haou often kept in touch with Jaden by texting him (they were both humans who were raised with this kind of technology after all). The fact that Jaden had come here pretty much proved how worried he was about the situation.

He opened the text and frowned down at the huge paragraph he'd been sent. It wasn't really like Yugi to text him, but since it started with “Yubel mentioned you'd gone to see Haou” he wasn't that surprised he'd contacted him this way. It went on to explain about the markings that Yusei, Jack, Aki, Luna and Leo all had, their meanings, and the Crimson Dragon itself. It also explained what they knew about the war, what it had to do with the Zero Reverse, and that Jack and Yusei hadn't taken the news well. A dark frown tugged on Jaden's lips.

He supposed he wasn't really surprised that Leo and Luna had these marks, making them “Signers” as Yugi so put it. Even he knew that gods worked in mysterious ways and often chose their servants carefully, but it didn't mean he was happy about it. In fact, he wasn't really happy with the thought of any of those kids being Signers. He knew there wasn't really anything they could do about it now though, except try and help with what they could. And right now, he knew it meant he'd have to try and figure out if Haou knew anything.

He felt the Shadow Being nudge his hand gently with its huge nose, whining worriedly. It could immediately sense the change in his body language, and he was pretty sure it could tell that something was wrong. He patted its nose and then turned, climbing up onto its back as quickly as he could. The creature didn't ask any questions and just stood, leaping off in the direction of Haou's castle. Jaden continued to frown as the creature went forward.

The creature quickly leaped into a full on sprint as it began picking its path towards the castle, leaping into the forest and quickly disappearing between the trees. It was careful with its passenger, but it could also tell that Jaden really wanted to get to that castle, and as quickly as possible. Jaden said nothing as he hunkered down in the creature's fur, hiding as much as he could from the stinging wind as the creature continued through the forest, passing several startled Shadow Spirits as it continued on its way through it.

Within a few minutes Jaden and his overlarge, over-fast steed had left the forest and soon found a town. Jaden could see the familiar sight of the rock castle far ahead, still twisted into strange and gnarled shapes, and he couldn't help but feel a little bit hopeful. Of course, the people of this town weren't happy to see the Shadow Being going right through the middle of town, especially since many of the inhabitants were obviously human. However, though the creature snarled at them, it leaped right through town without so much as looking at them, choosing instead to leap over carts and people who fell in its path.

It continued to run, slowing its sprint to a much lighter jog as it leaped onto the main path that ran right into the front court of the castle. People and Shadow Spirits, as well as a few Duel Spirits littered this path, all leaping out of the way of the Shadow Being in surprise. Some other Shadow Beings were sitting at the side of the road, helping travelers and even transporting people like this one was doing with Jaden, and they all looked up as this one passed, snarling at it. These were the ones that Haou had Jaden had already “tamed”, all marked with purple collars which clearly showed which ones could be trusted. This one of course, didn't have one.

Soon the path widened as the front gates came into view, but the large wooden gates were already closed. Obviously, the guards had heard from those down below that this Shadow Being was coming, and was intent on keeping it out. The creature didn't slow though, and instead leaped right over the fence. Jaden let out a surprised yelp in response, not having expected it to make that jump, however he also didn't fall off. He was now in a sense using his Shadow Spirit powers, so he wasn't exactly completely human anymore. That meant he wasn't in any danger of falling off the creature, or getting hurt from the bone shattering impact that followed. As the creature pulled up in the middle of the court however, snarling, the humans and Spirits within all froze.

Jaden leaped off though, and quickly went to the beasts face, simply letting it nuzzle its huge nose into his hands as he pet its face. The creature seemed to instantly calm when he did this, as did everyone else in the outdoor court. He scratched the creature's face and leaned closer to it, whispering into its ear so only it could hear.

“Be a good boy,” he said. “and don't cause anymore trouble all right? You're not going to hurt humans anymore, are you? You're going to help them, right?”

The dog like creature started to wag its tail and whine, a rather happy sound considering the fact that Jaden had basically just told it to ignore what it had originally been bred to do. The creature was now acting much more docile though and Jaden felt comfortable enough to step away from the Shadow Being and leave it alone with these people. As he did, he found himself facing a very familiar Evil Hero Duel Spirit, Haou's partner.

She was a tall Evil Hero Inferno Wing named Emmery, and though she had the ability to be vicious and unnerve many Shadow and Duel Spirits alike, she greeted Jaden with a fond but nervous smile. Jaden instantly picked up on this fact and raised a brow to her. She was a tall and thin creature with pale skin on her face that became green under her chin. Her feet had talons, and her arms had a darker green fur with claws on them, though she also seemed to have human hands somewhere in the mass of fur that. Matching ivory adorned her rib cage and spiked off her shoulders.

She wore a red suit that framed her well, with spikes of the same red material coming off of her hips. She also appeared to wear some kind of strange cape. On her back were two huge gray wings, which had a dark black stripe on them and red gems inlaid at the folds of her wings. Her hair was green and spiked up around her face, giving her a fierce and ruffled appearance any time he saw her, though it almost looked ridiculous. He'd seen her fighting for him and Haou before, and knew no one but either of them would ever mention that. Anyone else would be filleted alive. Most of her face was covered by a silver-blue v shaped mask, and her lips were a bright red on her pale face.

“ _Its good to see you again, Jaden,_ ” she said. “ _Where's Yubel and Neos? Aren't they with you?_ ”

“They were helping train some new students of ours,” Jaden replied with a shrug. “Besides, this was really important. If it wasn't, I would have just texted Haou. Then again, he hasn't exactly been responding to me for a few months. So either way, I had to come here.”

“ _Wait you came here alone?_ ” Emmery gasped, sounding even more scared now. Jaden raised a brow.

“I get the feeling something's going on,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Now I know I'm not exactly the smartest guy, but I can read you like a book. Emmery, what's going on?”

“ _Jaden,_ ” she warned strongly. “ _You need to leave! You can't be here, it's too dangerous!_ ”

“Does this perhaps have to do with the Earthbound Immortals?”

As soon as the words left Jaden's lips the entire breath in the outside court had seemed to die. The air seemed to grow heavier at the mention of the creatures, and Emmery froze and just stared at Jaden, her mouth forming a little O. Jaden could practically feel this world, which he was so connected with, shudder at the named beasts. Even the Shadow Being behind him crouched in terror at the mention of the name. Everyone else seemed to shudder.

“ _Jaden,_ ” Emmery said quietly. “ _How do you know of those creatures?_ ”

“The Zero Reverse,” Jaden growled without a second thought.

“ _Wait what?_ ” Emmery gasped. Even the creatures here in the Shadow Realm had heard of the disaster and what had happened.

“It wasn't an accident,” he replied. “And Hakase Fudo had nothing to do with it. Roman Goodwin had a purple mark, the mark of a spider. And that mark and that man is what caused the Zero Reverse and murdered thousands of people. This war has been waging for much longer than we thought. And now its starting to rear its head.”

No one said anything for a long while, just taking in this information. Jaden had the feeling though from the way that everyone around here was acting when he so much as mentioned the Earthbound Immortals that there was definitely something going on here. Why else would Emmery not only be so nervous that he was here in the first place, but absolutely terrified that he was here alone? They also obviously knew something he didn't.

“ _Come with me,_ ” Emmery said suddenly, holding out her clawed hand to him.

Jaden paused, surprised by this. He wasn't really that surprised that she was being so protective of him. Both Neos and Emmery were very fond of Haou and Jaden. He took her hand and let her pulled him under one of her arms and her protective wing as she led him to the front door. The door opened instantly to admit them, and they were soon inside the rather large palace.

It was much like he remembered it, only full of many more people than before. Many of them were injured or looked extremely hungry. The various servants that now lived in this place again were bustling back and forth to help them all, because even Jaden knew Haou seemed rather callous at times but wouldn't turn anyone away. People practically leaped out of their way as Emmery led Jaden through the corridors that she obviously knew well by now.

She continued to keep him firmly pressed to her side as she finally took him to the central staircase that led up to the top of the building where Haou would no doubt be in his tower. He wasn't really one to just sit in the throne room, even if he was ruling this world. Jaden said nothing and didn't try to pull away, knowing that she wouldn't be content with letting him walk out of the relative safety of her protective talons. She was obviously unnerved and she couldn't just let him keep wandering around by himself.

The long climb up the staircase suddenly seemed a lot shorter than it had before. Then again, the last time he had really climbed all the way up these stairs he'd been running up them and hoping that he could stop that psychopath Iniro from killing his friends (which had eventually led to Jaden and Haou getting fused together into the Supreme King, a form which they couldn't keep using for extended periods of time). Now that there wasn't so much of a life or death situation, he was much happier to be walking them.

They reached the top floor, where a large window overlooked the bustling town below and the courtyard as well. Jaden couldn't see Haou anywhere, but he didn't doubt that he'd pop up pretty soon. He had the tendency to do that, and this was also a large floor. He stepped out from under Emmery's wing and towards the window. He frowned as he looked down from that window. Everything looked so much worse up here.

Parts of the town had been demolished, and whole swaths of the forest had been set on fire at some point. It seemed like this strangely beautiful land was in shambles more than he had ever thought, and now that he could see it well it was no doubt in his mind that he was right and there was definitely something going on here. He continued to frown to himself thoughtfully, aware that Emmery was watching him like a hawk somewhere behind him. That's when Jaden got the feeling of another presence having entered the room.

“ _ **Jaden?**_ ” he heard a familiar voice ask in surprise.

“Been a while Gavis,” Jaden replied, smiling as he turned.

Jaden turned to find a familiar sight, one of the so called Foresworn Shadow Spirits who were always set to be the guards of the two halves of the Supreme King of Darkness. Yubel was one, and her twin brother Gavis was the other. Unlike Yubel, Gavis was (apparently male) and didn't quite look the same. His hair and eyes matched Yubel's, except it was opposite. The male half of his body was much more muscular than Yubel's was with silver hair and an orange eye, and the female side of his body had a small chest and less rounder hip than Yubel's with blue hair and a green eye. He was also taller than Yubel was, and unlike her, the male voice was more prominent than the female when he spoke, though both were still easily heard.

Jaden could understand why he was surprised. One, Jaden didn't have Yubel with him, which was highly odd for his kind, and he didn't have Neos with him either. He was also one to call and warn Haou that he was coming, which he also hadn't done. Jaden could see almost instantly though that Gavis had started switching into his protective mode. He was far less callous than Yubel could be, especially when he had first met her, and he tended to be gentler.

“ _ **What are you doing here?**_ ” Gavis asked worriedly. “ _ **What if something happens to you?**_ ”

“Jeez,” Jaden joked. “You and Emmery sound like a broken record.”

“For good reason,” another familiar voice interjected.

Jaden turned to find himself practically looking into a mirror. Haou looked exactly like him, and he was the same height. The only real difference is that Haou was paler than Jaden, and unlike Jaden, he was far more serious and driven. A scowl was on his face now, but Jaden knew it was because he was worried about his people and now felt he had something else to worry about with him being here. Haou wore a black blazer not unlike Jaden's red one, and black pants. His eyes were also glowing a bright gold like Jaden's were, though even when he wasn't using the powers of the Supreme King, his eyes always seemed to be a goldish brown color.

Haou crossed the room from the door he had entered, going right up to Jaden and glaring right into his eyes. Jaden just smirked as Haou continued to scowl, finding it kind of funny yet again how completely opposite, yet so similar they always seemed to be. They were two halves of the same person, and obviously they could work together, or else they never would have won their war in the first place. Neither of them moved, but finally Haou sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I can't really blame you,” he growled worriedly. “I know you've always been the curious type. I wasn't contacting you purposely to keep you away. I suppose in hindsight I should have known you would have eventually shown up here when I didn't contact you regularly. But you have no idea what you've just gotten yourself into, Jaden.”

“Ah, relax bro,” Jaden replied, giving him a grin. “I would have come anyway. I didn't come sooner because we've been dealing with all kinds of stuff in the Human Realm too. That's actually what I was coming to talk to you about.” His grin faded, which Haou instantly noticed. That wasn't like Jaden at all. “Things are getting really bad.”

“What do you mean?” Haou asked.

“ _He mentioned them,_ ” Emmery suddenly said. Jaden didn't glance back at her, not really wanting to be reminded. “ _The Earthbound Immortals._ ” She shuddered again. “ _He said that they're the ones that caused the Zero Reverse, and that there was a spider mark...the one that Roman Goodwin had. Things are getting very bad._ ”

Gavis and Haou were both horrified to hear this information. They hadn't seen the damage of the Zero Reverse first hand like Jaden had, but they had been friends with all of Jaden's friends as well. Hearing about the disaster the first time had been painful, especially because they had been just excited for their friends to hear that they'd had children of their own. Bringing it back up was painful, but to hear that it wasn't an accident was even more so. Slowly Haou seemed to reign his emotions in check. When he spoke his voice was calm, but his fists were clinched and he was shaking ever so slightly.

“And what do you know about them?” he asked.

“Nothing much,” Jaden replied. “That's why I was coming here to ask you about them. I thought if anyone would know, it would be you, and it looks like I was right. We know more about the other god than those beasts.”

“ _ **Other god?**_ ” Gavis asked. Jaden nodded.

“A Dragon god,” he replied. “The one that originally sealed them away. We've got quite a bit of information on him, and the way he apparently intends to stop it. I can't say I'm all that happy about it but...it's a start.”

The atmosphere in the room almost immediately seemed to relax a little. He could even see both Gavis and Emmery's shoulders and wings fall a little. They both seemed to breathe a silent sigh of relief. Obviously they'd known quite a bit more about these Earthbound Immortals but had no idea how to stop them. Haou on Jaden's other side chuckled, obviously both relieved and amused. He supposed he should have realized Yugi would have known just what to do.

“That's good to know,” he said. “I should have expected as much. But, what do you know? We'll start there, then I'll tell you what's been happening here.”

“Well,” Jaden said, thinking a bit. “We know the Crimson Dragon (that's the god's name by the way) was the one who sealed all seven of them away. There was a legend of sorts that said if a certain god awakened the beasts it had sealed would follow, so we assume they mean this particular war. It began around the same time as Yugi's war and our own. We know there are six Signers that this god has chosen to fight the Earthbound Immortals, and that the Earthbound Immortals have Dark Signers. Also they're sealed into the Nazca Lines.”

“Still quite a bit,” Haou said thoughtfully. “Well, at least its a start.”

Slowly, Haou turned towards the large window at the front of the room and made his way over to it. Jaden turned and joined him, stepping up next to him and looking out over it with him. Frowns creased both of their faces as they looked down at the world below them. Maybe Jaden did have more of an affiliation with the Human Realm, but he was still one of the Princes of the Shadow Realm, and he hated to see what had become of it.

“They've caused this,” Haou explained. “Not directly, but they have definitely caused it. Their presence can be felt here sometimes, and I think their Dark Signers have come here before. They play on the fears of people and spirits and then make them do their bidding. They kidnap people and destroy towns to get people to do what they want, and they had absolutely no mercy. They've also released Shadow Beings into the Human Realm, the ones we haven't managed to tame. I knew I had to figure out what was going on, so I went digging.”

“How?” Jaden asked. “We had to go to Peru to find out anything.”

“People get lost here,” Haou replied with a small and sad smile. “We found some people who remembered words that had been passed down to them for a long time, and other such legends.”

“Words?” Jaden asked. Haou sighed and shifted. As he spoke, Jaden pulled out his phone to compare what Yugi had sent him.

“' _ _In the days of fire the Earthbound Immortals rose against the world they had created,__ _ _'__ _”_ Haou said. _“'_ _ _So great was their power that none could stand against them. So the Ancient Dragon and his priests fought them. The dragons too gave their powers to the priests to serve them in their war. The evil gods were sealed into signs upon the earth, and the Dragon slept to guard their slumber.__ _ _'__ _”_

“Wait,” Jaden replied, holding up a finger. “You're missing part of it. We found an old transcript. Marik had to translate it for us. _'_ _ _In the coming days the gods will stir and escape. The Dragon and his priests will return to the world, and the war between the dark ones and their servants, and the great Dragon and his will wage again.__ _'”_

“A prophecy?” Haou asked.

“Certainly seems that way.”

Haou turned his head to look out the window again, though he wasn't really looking at anything outside of it. A dark frown had seemed to crease his face, and Jaden could tell that he was really bothered about something. Jaden huffed and crossed his arms, giving Haou a face that reminded him suddenly of Yubel, which he couldn't help but smile a little at. Jaden knew though that he wasn't going to talk much more until he told him everything.

“Well,” Jaden said. “We also found out that there are six signs, one for each Signer, and then a seventh to mark the leader, as well as the one that can apparently summon the Crimson Dragon to battle. There's the head, the front claw, the heart, the back claw, the wings and the tail. Then the seventh is the full body of the dragon, which looks like that relief in the bottom of the Dragon's Hollow.”

“Which they found in Peru,” Haou said, understanding beginning to dawn on him.

“Right,” Jaden replied with a nod. “Each sign has a meaning too. I'll just summarize, but the Head goes to the Thinker in the group. The Back Claw goes to the fighter, and the wings go to the most Courageous. The Heart goes to the Kindest, and the Back Claw goes to the one who is Firmest in their beliefs. The last is the tail, which goes to the guard. And until all six of these signs have appeared, the full body won't appear.”

“These people are the only ones who can fight the Dark Signers,” Haou said, sounding worried again. “And the Earthbound Immortals. Do you know where to look for the Signers?” Jaden couldn't help but chuckle a little.

“They were right under our noses,” he replied. “We know where five of them are, and they're all kids. They're Luna and Leo Azuma, who have the Back Claw and Heart. Then there's Aki Izayoi who has the Front Claw and Jack Atlas who has the Wings. Then the Head belongs to Yusei Fudo.”

 _“_ _ _Y-Yusei?__ _”_ Emmery gasped. Jaden mentally face palmed. They'd been keeping in touch for years, so of course they knew of Jack, but they hadn't talked in months.

“Or right,” he said. “Sorry, you guys wouldn't have known. We haven't really been keeping in touch. A couple of weeks ago we heard that a Shadow Being had been running through the Satellite, and that a kid and an unknown Duel Spirit had stopped it. That would be Yusei and his Partner, a dragon I'd never heard of called a Stardust Dragon. They hadn't just stopped it, but apparently killed it. Yusei got pretty badly shredded up mind you, and his arm is still in a sling. But Yugi took Yusei as his student. Now that I think about it though...all of the Signers we've ever met have strange dragon Partners.”

 _“_ _ _ **He was alive though?**__ _”_ Gavis gasped in relief.

“Yep,” Jaden replied with a big grin. “He's definitely one of a kind, and one of the few people who has the energy to keep up with Luna and Leo, and the only one who can get Leo to just accept he's wrong without a fight. He seems to hardly ever have emotion on his face, though he did grow up in the Satellite. Even so, he's really kind and can fix just about anything, even better than Syrus. He's also incredibly smart, but he can sometimes have Yoko's tongue too. He's definitely their kid.”

Jaden's smile turned bittersweet as he remembered the Zero Reverse and everything that was going on. But he couldn't deny that he was happy that the kid was alive. Hakase and Yoko may have been dead, but at least there was a chance that they could help their son, and that they could finally put an end to this madness that had caused all of this in the first place. Gavis and Emmery both smiled rather tearfully (they'd been rather fond of Hakase and Yoko themselves), and were glad to hear their son at least was alive. Haou on the other hand was obviously relieved to hear it as well, but looked far more thoughtful than anything else.

“So what about the sixth?” he asked.

“Well,” Jaden replied. “that we don't know. However the full body of the dragon isn't supposed to appear until all six Signers do. Yusei also has the full body of the dragon on his back. I don't think I have to explain what that means.”

“Then the sixth must already be around somewhere,” Haou said, looking to Jaden for confirmation. Jaden nodded.

“My thoughts exactly,” he said. “So we should be expecting to see them pop up pretty soon. Now, that's what we know. As you can see, there is still hope for humanity. So what do you know?”

Haou looked up, not surprised to see Jaden cross his arms again and raise a brow at him. He obviously wasn't going to leave here until he got the answers he came for, no matter how much danger the rest of them insisted he was in. Even if Gavis and Emmery tried to move him, he'd have the power to fight them for a good while to stay, and they would never push him to that point out of fear of accidently hurting him. Haou wasn't ever going to fight to try and hurt Jaden again, not after everything that had happened, and it hadn't exactly worked out well in the first place. Jaden was the twin that Haou had never had, and he knew that it was the same way with Jaden. He couldn't help but laugh a little when he saw that.

“All right,” he said. “All right. I give in. I'll tell you what I know. But then you're out of here the instant I'm done.”

“Sure thing, bro,” Jaden replied, grinning as he gave him that thumbs up and wink he'd always used to when they were younger. “I've got to report back to Yugi anyway. Business first, as usual.”

“Fine,” Haou said, his smile fading suddenly. “The legends those people told us were more closely related to the Immortals themselves. We know that the Immortals are evil gods that wanted to destroy the world itself, and that each is sealed into a corresponding Nazca Line. This means that the shapes of the lines are not unlike the creatures themselves. There is the Spider, Uru, and the Giant, Ccapac Apu. There is the Humming bird, Aslla Piscu, and the Monkey, Cusillu. There is the Lizard, Ccarayhua, and the Orca, Chacu Challhua. Then the last is the Condor, Wiraqocha Rasca.”

“You heard their NAMES too?” he asked in surprise.

“You know the name of the Crimson Dragon, right?” Haou asked in response. “We simply had more information on the Earthbound Immortals.”

“Right, sorry,” Jaden said. Haou just nodded.

“Besides the fact that these creatures are massive,” he continued. “They're also nearly impossible to fight. Very few creatures have the ability to do so, though it is said that there are six dragons who can damage them, and other extremely powerful creatures could in theory do the same. The only creature said to be able to destroy them is the Dragon that sealed them away, the Crimson Dragon. They're merciless and enjoy chaos and suffering. They seek only to rule this world and all the realms with an iron fist. The Crimson Draogn however wanted to realms to prosper on their own as they already have. Thus the war between the gods was created.”

Jaden couldn't help but begin to feel the fear sinking into him that everyone else here seemed to be feeling. If they couldn't attack them, then what were they were supposed to do? If they really were that terrible, then they had to be destroyed. Yet the only creature that could was the Crimson Dragon? There had to be more to it than that. If he could have destroyed them, then why had they only been sealed away? Maybe that's why he needed the Signers? He glanced towards the destruction the gods had already caused here in the Shadow Realm. They wouldn't be fully released until the Crimson Dragon fully awakened. And if this was only when they were still sealed...

Jaden shuddered.

“Like the Crimson Dragon,” Haou continued. “the Earthbound Immortals have Signers. They have Dark Signers however, which use dark and twisted powers. Each Earthbound Immortal only has one Dark Signer. The Crimson Dragon is said to have six because he is too powerful, and he wants to spread his power so that none of them would get hurt. The Earthbound Immortals don't care for their Signers however, and enjoy not only torturing them with the excessive power, but also making them destroy everything the loved.”

“Why would anyone want to work for them?” Jaden asked, appalled.

“No one chooses to,” Haou replied, to Jaden's horror. “they're often forced to, or tricked into making a contract with one of the gods. All people and spirits have some sort of darkness in their hearts, and so can be made into one of the many servants of these gods. But those who are Dark Signers have a worse fate. You see, only the dead can make a contract with an Earthbound Immortal. That's the only way they can withstand the power that's being fed to them. They have memories of their pasts, but any horror they feel is buried by the will of the gods. And often, their only will is to create as much chaos and pain as possible. Even if they wanted to stop, they couldn't.”

“So Roman was...”

“Controlled?” Haou asked. “It seems that way. Its possible he knows what he did and would never be able to forgive himself for the pain he had caused. I can't help but both fear and pity those people. However, its also said that though the Earthbound Immortals are powerful, the Crimson Dragon is more so. That's why his Signers can not only fight on equal footing with the Dark Signers, but also help pull a Dark Signer out of the grasp of an Earthbound Immortal so they can rest in peace.”

Jaden couldn't help but be shocked at that bit of knowledge. He was honestly saddened to hear what had happened to Roman, and wanting to help him somehow. It wasn't ever going to be easy to help that man, or any of the other Dark Signers either. He knew though that Roman had been their friend, and especially Hakase's. Even if he never acted like he cared, there was always going to be some part of him that was horrified at what he had done.

However he was absolutely shocked to hear that the Crimson Dragon was that powerful. If there was a god powerful enough to take on all of the Earthbound Immortals and defeat them, then why had they only been sealed away? Had something happened to the Signers? It was the only thing he could think of to make sense. Frowning, he looked up to Haou.

“So,” he said. “why were they only sealed away?”

“The Signers are the Dragon's source of power,” Haou explained. “When they stand together, the Dragon is the most powerful god and being in the world. Legends say that he didn't want to become like the Earthbound Immortals, mad with power, so he sealed his power into marks that he gave to humans he deemed worthy, which is why this power faded nearly completely out of knowledge until now. However if the Signers don't stand together, then he is too weak to fight the Earthbound Immortals.”

“So the Signers had a fight,” Jaden theorized. “and he couldn't defeat them. So he just sealed them away, using himself as the seal.”

“It seems so,” Haou replied, nodding his head. “However, there's no way to tell the Dark Signers apart from normal humans, not unless you touch them (they're dead, so they're cold and have no pulse), or they reveal their powers. I suppose technology now might allow for a scan of them. They could be blending into completely to normal human society somehow, or completely hidden in the shadows. My point, Jaden, is to be very careful. You'll never know when you might run into a Dark Signer. They could be anyone.”

The last piece of information certainly made the Dark Signers even more scary than they had been before. If you couldn't tell when you were looking at a Dark Signer, then how would they be able to tell when things were about to start happening? He supposed those strange marks the kids had would alert them to it. They'd certainly knew some information that they shouldn't have under normal circumstances, if what he'd read from Yugi was to be believed (which it almost certainly was). Even so, it wasn't a comforting thought.

“All right,” Haou suddenly said, grabbing Jaden and spinning him around to face the stairs. “I've told you what I know. Now get out of here! I don't want you back here until things calm down. I'll send the transcript that says what I just told you with you, but its in the language of the Shadow Realm, so you'll have to translate for the others.” A smile played on Jaden's lips.

“And what are you going to do when the battle comes to the Human Realm?” he asked.

“Join you there.”

“Oh, so it's okay for you to put yourself in danger, but I can't?”

“Exactly,” Haou replied, a small smile playing on his lips as well now. “Now go.”

“Jeez you're stubborn,” Jaden said with a light laugh. “Whatever. I know I can't change your mind, just like you know you couldn't make me change mine even if I'd told you I was coming to the Shadow Realm. I'll leave, but you'd better stay safe.”

“I should be the one telling you that,” Haou said, gently shoving Jaden forward. “Now get out of here. Gavis, go with him and make sure he gets home safe.”

 _“_ _ _ **I won't let anything happen to him,**__ _”_ Gavis promised Haou.

“See ya later, bro,” Jaden called as he began to descend down the stairs, Gavis grabbing the document Haou had mentioned sending with him and swooping down the stairs to follow. Haou just smiled and shook his head.

It could be hell on earth, but Jaden would always be Jaden.

* * *

 

Yugi sank slowly down onto the couch, massaging his temples. Everyone had gone home for the day (though home for some of them were various hotel rooms nearby), and Yusei and Jack had seemed to calm enough to actually respond to them. With them both in their dorms, and Jesse who was living in the dorms as well notified of the situation, things seemed to be going as smoothly as possible. Even so, this wasn't a good day. The students had been attacked under his watch, and the person had gotten away. Then that dragon had appeared, and the cat had been let out of the bag.

 _“_ _ _ **Are you all right, Yugi?**__ _”_ Yami asked quietly from beside him. Yugi didn't even know when he'd decided to leave the Millennium Puzzle to pay him a visit.

“I'll be fine,” he sighed. “I just wish you wouldn't have sprang it on them so suddenly.”

 _“_ _ _ **Jack and Yusei will be all right,**__ _”_ the pharaoh replied. _“_ _ _ **They're strong. Besides, someone needed to tell them the truth. You were simply too afraid to.**__ _”_

“What if they want revenge Yami?” Yugi asked with a sigh. “What then?”

 _“_ _ _ **I don't think Yusei would want revenge,**__ _”_ Yami pointed out. _“_ _ _ **He's not really the type. And I'm pretty sure we can count on Yusei to reign in Jack if he needs to. They'll be fine.**__ _”_

“I guess,” Yugi sighed.

In truth, he wasn't sure what he wanted to believe. He was relieved that now he didn't have to explain to Yusei the whole letter his father wrote, and that indeed his soon to be mortal enemies had screwed up his life long before it had begun. But he had never wanted to have it shoved in his or Jack's faces like that. He'd wanted to find some way to make the news more bearable. There was no way to do it now, but also no way to go back and change it. He just hoped that Yami was right, and those two didn't go running off with ideas of revenge.

There came a knock at the door, which honestly surprised Yugi. Who would want to be talking to him at this hour? Well actually, a lot of people would, but that didn't mean that random people off of the street would be walking up to his door. Only someone on important business, or someone that Yugi knew personally would be able to just walk up to the door. He stood and walked to the front door, pulling it open.

A man stood outside, though not one he had ever seen. He was apparently a scientist of some kind, wearing a white lab coat over the rest of his uniform. He was carrying a package with him, which he seemed to be fumbling with nervously. He didn't look very comfortable, and seeing Yugi at the door didn't seem to make him feel any better.

“A-Ah,” he said. “M-Mr. Moto. I've got a package for you.”

“A package?” Yugi asked. “For what?”

“Well,” the man said nervously. “It's, ah...I mean...well...its the footage you asked my department to go through, those that we managed to recover sixteen years ago from the files in the city database...the ones that weren't damaged by the Zero Reverse.”

Yugi swallowed past a lump in his throat. That's right. He'd asked them to go through the footage from inside the Ener-D Reactor. Even those that had been found in the city database had been heavily damaged during the meltdown. Yugi had asked it to be done right after the incident, hoping to figure out if there were any survivors or if there was any way to tell what had actually happened. About Sixteen years later, they'd finally managed to clean up the tapes. He'd completely forgotten about that, but now he wasn't sure he wanted to see his friends dying.

“I see,” Yugi said quietly.

“S-Sir,” the man said. “I...I should have but I...I watched them. I don't know what happened. I don't understand what happened! It was so insane! Please...please tell me you know what's going on!”

Yugi looked up at the man. He couldn't be much older than Jack and Yusei, hardly an adult and working on such a big project! He knew that the images must have been quite traumatic for anyone to watch, and he knew the man was trying to cling to some hope that all of this could be fixed in the end. Suddenly Yugi gave him a face reminiscent of Yami as he took the box gently in his hands and nodded to the man.

“I do,” he replied confidently. “and once the world knows the truth of what happened, then I'll work on fixing it.” The young man instantly seemed to relax and smile.

“O-Oh,” he said, relieved. “Good. Well, then thank you for your time Mr. Moto. I'll leave you to it then.”

“Have a nice day,” Yugi replied with faked smile.

As he closed the door, it fell from his face as he looked at the box in his hands with trepidation. He knew that he was not going to have a good day. No one was, when they finally saw whatever it was that these tapes had in them. He supposed that Jack and Yusei had gotten the news at the right time after all. He wasn't going to hide this from the world. The families of these people deserved to know the truth of the matter. Yusei and Jack deserved to see it, no matter how painful it would be. And gods was it going to be painful.

 _“_ _ _ **We have to watch it,**__ _”_ Yami said with the same resolute and sad face he always used when watching the death of another.

Yugi nodded, but as he made his way to the television in the living room, he felt as if his feet were made of bricks. Anzu and Merlin made their way into the living room, giving him worried looks. He just shook his head as he turned on the television, put in the disk labeled NO.1 from the box, and watched the madness unfold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's another bombshell for the story. That's going to make things a little different from now on at the school. Next chapter will kind of show what's going on at the school for Yusei (and a little bit of Jack too, but mostly Yusei). Its not that I don't like/love Jack, but the story is mostly centered around Yusei, and since they really don't have any classes together, I can't really focus that much on Jack.  
> Some quick notes. The character Iniro that was mentioned here is a villain that only appears in the latter half of Eyes of Darkness (Jaden's story in his series). I haven't written to the part where he appears, but he's a pretty big deal in his side of the “Wars”. Gavis has already been mentioned once by Yubel in Eyes of Darkness.   
> Haou of course is Jaden's other half. He's not the evil Supreme King, because in this universe, the Supreme King wasn't evil but actually a good king. He was supposedly split in half by a spell, and made into a good and evil half. However as you can see, neither is really completely good or evil. They're in fact just pretty much normal human kids. Together they can form one single being (that being the Supreme King), though not for long. They fought for a while, then together, and now they're friends/brothers.  
> The Supreme King will be making a short cameo in this series (or it may end up being longer than I planned but whatever) eventually. I tried to keep spoilers in this chapter for Eyes of Darkness to a minimum, but since this story is set after Eyes of Darkness, I had to explain a little of the back story so you would understand why the characters are and interact the ways they do in this story.   
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and continue to enjoy. And as always, feel free to leave me a review below if you'd like.


	25. Broken Wings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains subject matter that may be inappropriate for all readers. This includes brief depictions of death and destruction (because this chapter deals with the Zero Reverse itself mostly). Reader discretion is advised. (However this doesn't mean this story has to be rated M. Its still rated T).  
> Quick note: This chapter took much longer than it should have because I couldn't bring myself to actually write it. This had been planned for a while, but it was sad.  
> Here we go with chapter twenty five. Its going to pretty much be a simple chapter where the world finally figures out what the hell actually happened during the Zero Reverse. Because I apparently decided that Yusei and Jack hadn't had enough trauma for their entire lifetimes. Especially for Yusei. The last scene of the footage is going to be pretty bad for him (I wonder why?).  
> A really quick note. This chapter you'll see Yugi read an “excerpt” from what Jaden brought back from the Shadow Realm on what Haou knew about the Earthbound Immortals. It will be in the “Language of the Shadow Realm”, which is actually a code. It has certain rules and such, but the code does follow the English Language (because I can't speak any other). I'd created this some time ago when I started Eyes of Darkness, but this is the first time it's appearing in the series itself.  
> Anyway, all that aside, I hope you guys are enjoying the story. When I actually know how to get the words down onto the paper and write about things for the story its amazing what happens then! Who knew right?

Yusei woke up that morning with a splitting headache, but he didn't really care. Somehow, hearing that all of the things Jesse had told him from Yami made all of it just so much more real. He couldn't function, just trying to process all of it. What was he supposed to do about it? What was he supposed to think. He just stared up at the ceiling, barely registering when Star, whining softly and sadly, made him get up, get washed up, get dressed and take his medicine for the day. He did register though when she had to wrestle his arm into the sling he was wearing.

There was a knock at the door, which Yusei managed to look up towards with some semblance of interest. Star quickly ran over and opened the door, finding Aki and Thorn standing there. They both had rather mournful faces on as they came in. Aki sat down on the bed next to Yusei, not saying anything for a while. Tears were rolling down her face. She suddenly grabbed him and pulled him into a hug.

“Aki?” Yusei managed to ask.

“I-I'm sorry,” she sobbed. “You need to see this...”

She handed him her tablet, which was opened to a tab about the local news. He just kind of blinked down at it for a while, registering there was a title and a countdown of some kind on the page. He didn't read any of it and just kind of turned to Aki helplessly. As Aki looked up and saw his face, she felt as if some part of her was about to die as she reached forward and hit the link to open it. The video hadn't aired yet. That's what the countdown was for, but its the content that absolutely tore her up inside. She hated to see Yusei like this. What would he be like once he watched this? She took a deep breath and tried to smile. She failed.

“Well,” she said. “Jack's an upperclassmen. I'm sure he has a television in his room. And if not one of his friends will show him. There was a big announcement this morning all over the web. The whole city's shut down for this, and the school too.”

“For what?” Yusei asked. Aki nearly began crying again then and there.

“For this news cast,” she said quietly. “They've gotten footage...from inside the Ener-D Reactor.”

Yusei didn't register the words at first, and when he did, he dropped the tablet. Aki managed to catch it before it crashed to the floor, but just tossed it onto the bed. Yusei's eyes had gone wide, and he'd started shaking. There were clearly tears pouring down his face, and Aki didn't have to have the ability to read minds to tell that this had just made it so much worse. She grabbed Yusei again and pulled him into another hug that he didn't try and fight.

Yusei didn't want to have to think about that more, not now. But then there was this? Part of him wanted the closure. He wanted to see what had happened and know how his parents had died, but the other part of him was terrified. He didn't know them, only the stories that people had told, but he'd lived his whole life hearing people call him and his father evil. Now that he was going to see what Roman did first hand...it was terrible. He didn't want to have to watch his parents die. He didn't want faces to put with the names. He didn't want to think that these were all real people that he was going to watch die.

He didn't want to have to finally face the horrible reality of the Zero Reverse, instead of just hearing stories about it.

“I-I'm so sorry,” Aki sobbed into his uninjured shoulder. “You don't have to watch if you don't want to.”

“N-No,” Yusei said quietly, surprising himself. “I-I need to see it.”

He pulled away from Aki, wiping away the tears quickly and slowly picking up the tablet again. Yes, it was going to be hard, but he did need to see it. He needed to come to grips with reality as much as everyone else his age. Aki smiled and started to stand to leave, but Yusei quickly dropped the tablet into his lap and grabbed her wrist. She didn't say anything, and just sat back down beside him, laying the tablet in her lap so they, and the two dragons could see, without their shaking hands ruining the video. All too soon, it started.

The emblem for the New Domino City news was flashed across the screen as a newscaster appeared on the screen behind a desk. The woman was tall and thin, with dark brown hair that hung down to her chin and blue eyes. She looked very professional and was wearing an all black dress as she sat mournfully behind the desk. Yusei could understand completely why she looked that way. This was the news the world had been waiting to hear for sixteen years, and it wasn't comforting.

“Hello New Domino City,” she began. “My name is Samantha Holtz, and we're bringing you this special report. We will be showing live video footage from inside the Ener-D Reactor on the day of the infamous Zero Reverse to answer the question once and for all what really happened there. The footage we are about to show you is of a highly sensitive material. We advise anyone who might find these images disturbing to turn off your television or device and stop watching now.”

Yusei nearly did just that. It took a lot of will power to not reach up and hit the lock button so he wouldn't have to watch it. Somehow though, he knew that he was going to have to watch all of it. He needed to know what had happened. He felt Aki lay her hand on his knee and give it a comforting squeeze. He couldn't help but admit that it did make him feel just a bit better when she did that. At least he wasn't alone. Both Star and Thorn purred to him.

The footage began, some of the color missing from it as if something had sapped it out of the tapes themselves. Sometimes the tapes would skip oddly or turn into fuzz, and sometimes an odd purple hue would cover the lens. However everything began normally for a while. Work was going on in the thousands of computers and flashing lights, a large column of light in the middle of the room. They saw a familiar face in the crowd, that of Zane Truesdale and Cyber. The dragon looked unhappy and kept looking up at the cylinder.

Another few people stepped into view, two of which immediately caught Yusei's attention. He felt a lump forming in his throat as he realized he was looking at his parents. He'd seen enough pictures of them by now to know their faces. His father looked to be not much older than he was now, troubled and frowning towards the cylinder in the middle of the room. His mother had a small bundle in her arms and was rocking and shushing it. Was that him as an infant?

Two more people had walked in with them, one of them being a woman who had a clipboard in front of her and seemed to be reading something off. The man behind her was just as short, and both had flaming red hair. They reminded Yusei strongly of Crow. Another two walked up, taller than Yusei or Crow's parents and both with bright blonde hair. The man looked almost exactly like Jack but with longer hair. Those must be Jack's parents.

The group continued to talk for a while before another man joined the scene, the oldest and easily the tallest. It was the face Yusei had only ever seen before in pictures, but it made him bristle all the same when he saw him. Yusei knew that he was looking at the face of Roman Goodwin, the man who had really been behind all of this madness itself. There was no sound, but even so, Yusei could see that not only did he still have both of his arms, but he also appeared to be smiling and laughing. He looked so happy and well, normal. What kind of creature could ever make someone like that into the kind of person who would murder all of these innocent people? Yusei got the sinking feeling that he was going to find out.

Roman asked Hakase, John and Robin to follow him, and they went after him. However the footage didn't follow them immediately. For a while it showed work as usual, until it became obvious that something was going wrong. People began running around, yelling to one another and checking figures, pointing at the reactor itself, which was the cylinder in the middle of the main room. Then the cameras changed to another room. Robin, John and Hakase all looked horrified as they backed away slowly, and it soon became apparent why.

Roman was doubled over, clutching the bleeding stump which had once been his right arm. The mark of the dragon's head was fading slowly on it, the crimson color of the mark seeming vibrantly bright against everything else, though as it faded more color had seemed to leave the picture. The purple mark of a spider on his other arm was now shining brighter than ever. Some sort of shock seemed to shake the building and the cameras within, and the three went running out of the room, leaivng Roman behind.

Roman looked up, strange markings covering his face, and the whites of his eyes were now black, giving him a very wolfish appearance. Suddenly another scene flashed, one that sent a shiver down the spines of both dragons and both Signers now watching it. Something flashed in front of the main cylinder, making the ground shake and leaving the mark of the spider behind on it. Yusei felt a numbing fear as he realized he had just seen one of the Earthbound Immortals.

The creature was gone as soon as it had come, leaving panic in the main room as things began malfunctioning and exploding around them, knocking people down as parts of the building began to collapse around them. Even though the creature had disappeared, the fear remained, though not as strong as before. They caught sight of Hakase, Robin and John running back into the room and the chaos. They seemed horrified and confused, but something else flashed in Hakase's eyes. He fearlessly reached down and helped pull someone out of the rubble, not even flinching as part of the roof fell, cutting his arm deeply. He winced but quickly pointed to the door and started yelling over the din below.

Some sort of order was quickly regained as people began to make their escape from the building. Several followed Yusei's father farther inside the building to help those who were trapped in remote parts of the huge building that would soon be nothing more than a smoking hole in the middle of the Satellite. Red lights and sirens seemed to be blaring, and a countdown often flashed across screens all across the place as people continued to panic or be rescued by those going farther inside. Yusei was beginning to feel the crushing reality of it all.

Ten minutes? That was all the time these people had?

The footage quickly became even more chaotic and even more gruesome. The film kept cutting out and reappearing, showing people being crushed or speared by falling objects, getting blasted by strange magic, or other things. Duel Spirits were fighting as hard as they could to protect those they were tied to, but there was desperation clearly shining in all of their eyes and fear. The worst part was when they showed the fact that the facility seemed to have some kind of child care facility, and many of the children were dying there.

Hakase ran into the room and quickly found his infant son in the arms of a dying duel spirit who'd only just managed to protect him from the blast that had killed just about everyone else in the room. As he took the child, the Dark Magician Girl died. Hakase quickly fled the room, still giving orders to evacuate as he did so and helping others to get out. He sent Zane Truesdale and John Atlas away when they ran back to him, telling them to get out.

Yoko met up with her husband but the two were quickly separated by the Earthbound Immortal as it went dashing through the room again. Hakase clutched the child closer to his chest and went running down another hallway, evacuating people as he did so and helping those he could. The footage cut to the main reactor room again. The spider mark was glowing brighter, and the edges of the room seemed to be glowing more as well. The countdown flashed two minutes.

The footage cut out again, to be replaced by one final scene. Hakase Fudo ran into a room where there was a single escape pod. He laid his child down into the escape pod, the infant reaching up out of its blanket just once towards him. Hakase kissed the child's forehead and slipped a note inside, before closing the pod and sending it out of the room. Another blast shook the room, bathing it in a purple light. Hakase threw his arm over his face and began to run from the room. The footage cut out suddenly and there was nothing else.

“That is the last of the footage,” the woman told them solemnly as the news room returned to view. “it is highly damaged footage, however these are the events that transpired directly inside of the Zero Reverse. Yugi Moto has confirmed that these events have a far more supernatural origin than we had originally thought, but that he has already begun making preparations for future events. Let us take a moment now to remember all of those that were lost in the incident.”

The last of the newscast was to show the pictures and names of every single person who had died or disappeared during the Zero Reverse, meaning of course, that the names of children, duel spirits, and the parents of Jack, Crow and Yusei all appeared there. Somehow seeing all of those names, literally thousands upon thousands (some of which were only in the blast radius and never actually at the event itself) finally drove the event home for Yusei in a way that it never had been before.

The rest of it was lost to him. He didn't pay much attention to the reassurances that were given to the public or that the newscast had been officially signed off. He was just acutely aware of how silent and still everything was. Everyone was mourning the loss again now that they knew what had really gone on there, and the fact that Yusei fully understood what was going on was so much worse. All of those innocent people had died because of Roman and his Earthbound Immortal, because of events that had sealed the fates of so many people, and continued to seal them. He was scared, angry, sad, and hurt farther than he'd ever remembered being.

After seeing the man his father truly was, all those accusations and painful comments that had ever been said about him being a murderer hurt so much more, and in a different way than ever before. Yusei's heritage meant so much more than it ever had before as well. Did he even have any family left now that knew he was alive? That wasn't what honestly freaked Yusei out the most though.

It was that _thing_ that they had seen, the Earthbound Immortal. Just what was it? And if that was what it could cause without being fully released from its prison, then what could it cause when it was fully released? And there was seven of these things? He was terrified, of it, of what it meant, of the ways he could fail and get his friends killed. There were so many things going through Yusei's head right then and there that he didn't know what to do.

He was scared of the Earthbound Immortal and the thought he could fail. He was scared of the things that could go wrong and that the world could be utterly destroyed in much worse ways. He was broken at the knowledge of what his father had done to help all those people and than he had never made it out himself. He was saddened by the thought of his obviously kind mother having to die, never knowing that her son had survived. He was angry with the Earthbound Immortals, but unable to hate Roman and wanting to all the same.

Tears started pouring down Yusei's face, and he did the first thing he could think of to try and shut the world out. He pulled his arm out of the sling, rested his elbows on his knees, and buried his face into his hands. He didn't care how much it hurt his arm. He didn't care that Star gave a whine of concern and tried to move his arm back. He didn't care that Thorn and Aki both hugged him, both dragons now making low whines at him. He just wanted the world to stop, even if just for a moment, so he could pretend that everything was okay. How could anything be okay?

Yusei's right arm gave a pang suddenly, and he could see the light from his Signer mark shining brightly into his eyes even now. He felt the Crimson Dragon's mind flare to life in his own, sending him waves of comforting thoughts. Yusei couldn't fight the feeling to just calm that flowed into him, and his shoulders slowly relaxed as the creature continued to send him gentle reassurances. He felt almost a physical touch from it, as if the creature was in the room and rubbing against him like a giant cat, purring to him.

“ _ **Their suffering is over Yusei,**_ ” he purred. “ _ **Do not mourn for them, for you are less alone than you truly think. Your anger is both just and deserved, however I will not allow it to blind you. You already know that you cannot hate Roman, though perhaps you don't truly understand why yet. And you have nothing to fear. We will triumph over the Earthbound Immortals this time. We must. I will prepare you, and your friends will help you. Be strong Yusei. For now the only thing you need to focus on is what you can do to put these souls at peace, and how to fix the world again. Nothing else matters.**_ ”

Yusei found the dragon's words far more comforting than he could ever voice aloud, and he felt a feeling of deep calm fall over him. It was as if he'd suddenly gone through years of healing and accepting what had happened in a few seconds, and was now just calm. It still hurt, and it was still scary, but his mind was much clearer. Yusei let out a shaky breath and leaned back against the wall, making Thorn and Aki let go in surprise. Yusei slid his arm back into the sling and brushed the tears away from his face. Even in the sling, the mark continued to shine brightly.

“My father,” Yusei said quietly. “was a good man.”

“Yeah,” Aki managed, tears shining in her eyes and a sad smile on her face. “he was.”

Yusei heaved another shaking sigh and just seemed to stare up at the ceiling for a long moment. Both dragons curled up against him to provide him with as much comfort as they could, purring to him gently. He seemed to be much calmer now though and closed his eyes. Aki gave a sad smile towards the sky and touched her Signer mark, though hers wasn't glowing. She was grateful though that Yusei wasn't so broken now, and mouthed two words.

_Thank you._

* * *

 

Leon couldn't help but watch his friend with worried eyes as he watched him pacing back and forth. Blaze was bristled but purring to Jack, obviously trying to calm his partner as much as he possibly could. He was obviously failing as the young man continued to snarl and pace back and forth. Leon knew that Jack wasn't the kind of guy to cry. He never had been. But he was worried that he'd end up doing something to hurt himself.

Seer, his partner, was now in her true form. She was a huge All Seeing White Tiger, appearing to mostly just be a large white Tiger with blue eyes and a scar over her right eyes. She was purring and rubbing her side against Jack's trying to calm him down as much as possible. She looked far more trouble than Leon ever remembered seeing her. He couldn't blame her though. That was quite a lot to take in.

They'd just seen what had really happened at the Zero Reverse, and it wasn't a pretty sight. Jack had just seen how his parents had died, and it obviously wasn't sitting well with him to see that, or how the parents of the two boys he thought of as his younger brothers had died. But those marks and that strange creature was what really bothered Leon and Seer. What the hell had that been?

They'd seen the mark of the dragon's head, the same one that Yusei had on his arm, the same kind that Jack and Aki both had, yet when Roman had apparently cut that off things had gone to hell. That purple mark was obviously the problem, and Leon got the feeling that those red marks weren't anything to worry about. He'd been worried before, wandering if Jack, Aki and Yusei were really going to be okay, but it looked like that was now the least of their worries. But it still didn't sit right with Leon that he had no idea what all of this really meant.

Jack suddenly turned and punched the wall, hard. Blood started pouring down from his knuckles, and Leon couldn't help but gasp. Blaze instantly leaped forward and pulled Jack away from the wall, and Seer wasn't far behind, hissing and rubbing her huge head into his chest as Blaze made Jack sit down so he wouldn't do any more damage to himself. Leon opened his mouth to say something, but just gasped instead as he saw a red glow.

The mark of the wings on Jack's arm began to glow brightly, and Jack looked down at his arm in surprise. A similar red glow seemed to mass around Jack's knuckles for a few seconds, largely healing the bleeding hand. It wasn't completely healed by any means, but it wasn't broken anymore either. Jack heaved a sigh, but his snarl disappeared and he started running his uninjured hand through his hair instead, continuing to sigh. Leon's eyes went wider.

Had something just healed the damage that Jack had done? It wasn't a complete heal, and whatever had done it either didn't have the power to completely heal the wound or wanted Jack to heal naturally and wanted him to learn from it. Then again, if something was that powerful, maybe it hadn't healed him in case it was too powerful for Jack's body to handle the magic it would take to completely heal him. If Leon hadn't been convinced that whatever had put these marks on these people wasn't a good creature, all doubt had now been erased.

“This needs to end,” Jack said quietly.

Leon just laid his hand on Jack's shoulder as Blaze and Seer continued to purr to him. He had to figure out what was going on. This was way bigger than anything he could have imagined, and he owed it to Jack to find a way to help.

* * *

 

Joey felt more angry than ever. He'd brought Crow to New Domino City, where he had invited him to stay at his house until they could let Yugi know and get him enrolled at Duel Academy, but after only now explaining about the Crimson Dragon and everything that was going on, this had happened to make it worse. He wasn't mad at Yugi, and he understood why he had to air it as soon as possible, but it was unfair to the boy. Crow hadn't taken the harsh reality well.

He only just understood everything that was going on, and it was barely. Now he was just sitting there, staring off into space and shaking his head slowly. Joey had no idea what was really going on in the boy's mind right now, but he could only imagine the grief he was feeling right now, let alone everything else he had to be thinking of.

Feather was growling lowly as she held onto Crow, holding him close and clearly showing her displeasure at the circumstances and how it was making her partner feel. Slash looked likewise as unhappy, but was carefully giving Feather a good wide berth in case she decided she was too unhappy with the situation. Joey wished that Yugi was here suddenly. He wasn't good with words and had no idea what to say to a kid who needed comfort.

Before he could have a chance to fumble for some kind of response that could ease the kid's mind, Crow stiffened in surprise as the mark on his arm began to glow. Nearly instantly though the kid began to relax and his shoulders eased into a less stiff position. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes, burying his face into Feather's shoulder. The surprised Dragon just wrapped her arms around him tighter, but Joey was relieved to see him much calmer now.

Had the Crimson Dragon done that? Found a way to say words to the kid to help him accept it? And how had he simply been able to accept it that quickly? What exactly was this god, and what did it do? Either way, he was glad it had been here to help now and that things weren't going to be too hard yet. Slowly Joey stood and made his way over to his cellphone, making a quick call to Yugi to inform him of the situation, how Crow had taken the information, and what the Crimson Dragon had done. When he hung up the phone he turned around and noticed that Crow was now asleep, and Feather was watching him. She gave him a small smile, a thankful one. He returned it silently before he and Slash retreated from the room.

* * *

 

Hakase's eyes narrowed, watching the scenes that he could never forget playing out on the screen in front of him. Jesse’s eyes were wide, but he looked like he might get sick. Hakase couldn't blame the kid, it had been worse in real life. Zane's eyes had also narrowed as he looked at the monitor that had just been showing the events of the Zero Reverse. There were a lot of things that didn't sit right with him, as it was obvious it didn't with Cyber or Glisten, who were hissing, and many others around the room as well. He looked towards Hakase.

“What was that thing you saw?” he asked. Hakase continued to frown.

“I have no idea,” he said. “Or, I didn't at the time. That's why I never told anyone about it. Who would believe me? It could very well be one of the Earthbound Immortals though.”

“It would make sense,” Zane said. He let out a heavy sigh though. “I wonder how Jack and Yusei are taking this. They don't know you're alive and well...do they even know that they might be involved in this at all?”

“I think they've got a pretty good idea,” Jesse managed to remind them. “though how much they know, that I can't be sure.”

“It's not just Jack and Yusei though,” Hakase pointed out, referring to the very end of the broadcast, after all those named who had been lost in the blast, that mentioned that Crow could still be alive (entered into the system for theft as he was). “Crow might be alive as well. I don't know why he's gotten into so much trouble but...I can't help but be hopeful that the reports are true.”

The other two men just nodded, looking towards Hakase again. There it was again, the same kind of light that had shone in his eyes the day of the Zero Reverse that had made him take charge and evacuate everyone that he could. It was the eyes of a man who knew he was fighting a losing battle, but knew he had to fight anyway, no matter what happened to him. Maybe he wouldn't survive, or he couldn't help everyone, but he was still Hakase. And he was going to do whatever he could to make sure that he could help those he could.

That was one thing the two men couldn't help but still admire about the man. He was strong, and they both knew that Yusei had inherited that from him.

* * *

 

Robin had tears in her eyes at the mention of her son. It had been breif and the very end of the report, but it had brought some hope back to her heart. Maybe he had been put in jail quite a lot, but she couldn't have cared at that point. She only knew that her baby boy was alive and she was going to help him if she could.

John was more worried about this strange creature that had appeared in front of Hakase, the same one who had put the spider mark on the reactor itself. He had no idea what it was, but it reminded him strongly of the strange marks that Roman had, though more strongly obviously of the spider one. He was also worried about the information he'd received in a phone call from Jim about a dragon god and a war going on surrounding Jack and Yusei.

Of course, he was glad to hear Crow was alive, but he got a sinking feeling that all three of these boys were getting involved in something they couldn't back out from, something much bigger than they'd thought. If this was a war like Jim had said, then there was probably nothing they could do to stop it now. It was obviously well underway. But John realized that his group was far under prepared for it, and they needed to move to find someone else who could help them, someone more connected to everything that was going on.

There was so much that they were going to have to take into account, but they needed to know more. Maybe it was time John contacted Jesse himself. He had called Jim in to check out a few things, and he knew the man. If anyone could keep a secret, it would be Jesse. With his mind made up, John pulled out his phone to contact Jim again.

* * *

 

Yugi sighed as he hung up the phone. He supposed it was good that Crow had been calmed down by the Crimson Dragon, but he was sorry that the boy had to find out all of this so abruptly. He could definitely understand why Joey was suddenly so protective of the boy. He probably would have been too if he could have been there for Yusei today. However, there were things that he was doing as well, and the Guardians of Duel Academy were more busy than ever.

It seemed like if things could go wrong here lately, they were. People were going missing, things were happening that no one could explain, and Yugi got the feeling that all of it had something to do with the Earthbound Immortals and their Dark Signers. Merlin and Yami were watching Yugi with concerned eyes, but there was little they could do to help him at this point. They were just as confused and lost as he was.

“Yugi,” a familiar voice called. Yugi looked up quickly, glad to see that Jaden had returned. His face was showing a frown, which was something to be very concerned for with Jaden.

Jaden tossed a scroll to Yugi and flopped down onto the couch with a sigh. Nearly instantly Yubel and Neos appeared from another room, having heard his voice. Yubel couldn't help but raise her brow at her twin brother, who just nodded before disappearing to return to the Shadow Realm. That, combined with Jaden's change in demeanor, made her concerned.

Yugi was also concerned with the fact that his eyes were still glowing gold, meaning that the powers of the Supreme King, which were basically a living thing, wouldn't allow him to suppress them for some reason. The last time that had happened things had gotten extremely crazy extremely fast. He wasn't looking forward to seeing the powers of the Supreme King manifest again. They didn't do so without reason, and usually a dangerous one.

“What did Haou have to say?” Yugi managed. Jaden motioned to the scroll, which Yugi opened and furrowed a brow at.

“He told me what they knew of the Earthbound Immortals,” Jaden sighed. “They're causing a lot of issues in the Shadow Realm, including letting out Shadow Beings like the one that attacked Yusei and Star. They can be tamed, but not all are. You so much as mention those things there and its like the world's going to end by saying it. Anyway, they learned a lot more about the Earthbound Immortals than we did, which is all written there.”

“I can't read it,” Yugi pointed out.

“Its written in the language of the Shadow Realm,” Jaden explained. “Oh, and if Haou pops up later, don't be too surprised.”

“Great,” Yugi mumbled.

If Haou was that worried, things must be going really bad down there. He didn't want to see what happened if these things reared their ugly heads again, but he knew they were going to soon. Yugi turned his attention instead to trying to make sense of something in the words on the scroll as he unrolled it. The alphabet seemed to be mostly the same as the English one, however it appeared things were backwards. He quickly spotted a few words and names he recognized, but that was it.

_Feliw yome fekare greiyej feew nize ya sioj bere Immortals Earthbound yne. Feisys ynese surrauwjowl mdyns iwj velewjs yne ifauy Peru kram awge peapve kram jesgewjej numiws istowl fd kauwj owkarmiyoaw gawyiows jagumewy ynos. Rekerewge kuyure kar regarjej feew nize ynew Haou ak arjer fd._

“What does this say?” Yugi asked, squinting at it as if by doing so, the words would make sense to him. Jaden glanced at it and read it so he could understand it.

“ _The Earthbound Immortals were said to have been created before time began,_ ” Jaden read. “ _This document contains information found by asking humans descended from people once from Peru about the legends and myths surrounding these beasts. By order of Haou they have been recorded for future reference._ ”

Yugi shook his head again and rolled the scroll back up, leaning back and staring at the ceiling for a while. This had instantly interested Jaden, who obviously knew that Yugi wasn't one to get so worked up without good reason. And why would he close the scroll when it obviously had such important information in it?

“We got the tapes back,” he told Jaden, making the man have a sinking feeling as he realized what he meant.

“Oh,” came the response.

“You need to see them,” Yugi said, getting little more than a nod from Jaden. “Then we can have this conversation later.”

Jaden didn't ask why. He didn't need to, considering he really did understand why. But now his understand of the situation was tinted with a dark realization. Roman hadn't had a choice in doing all of this. He'd been forced to do it. And if there was anything left of that man now, it was little more than a broken and sad creature that could probably never forgive itself, let alone expect the forgiveness of anyone ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's the end of chapter 25, finally. This took way too long to write, considering I started it right after chapter 24 but couldn't bring myself to finish it until now. Oh well. Its done now and has gone up.  
> As you guys can see, things are starting to move and our overcomplicated rifts between sides are beginning to move in a way where the groups will begin to converge. That won't happen right away, but things are no doubt starting to move.  
> Anyway, I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, and as always, feel free to leave a review below for me.


	26. In My Remains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we go with chapter twenty six. This is a chapter that's kind of just down time for some of the characters, and some first reactions to how calm Yusei really is (and maybe some of Jack). Anyway, other than one or two other things explaining some things going on, this chapter will be much less hectic than the last one.  
> If you guys see any discrepancies between stories like “Jaden never went to the spirit realm” but did in another story, remember that this one was written before I ever planned on writing the other two. If you see those things, feel free to leave a review pointing it out with the chapter number/title. I’ll fix it if I find it.  
> I hope you guys are enjoying the story. Its a lot of fun to write and plan out, and I've got quite a lot planned for this story.

“Hey Aki,” Yusei called from across the room. “I think... I need to go to the East Commons.”

“What?” she asked in surprise. “Why?”

“I promised some classmates I'd help them work on something today,” he said, remembering that it was indeed Thursday, and he'd promised to meet Bruno and Lucy there.

“I'm sure they'll understand if you miss it,” she said quietly. Yusei sighed and sat up from off the wall, where he'd been for at least half an hour.

“If its all the same,” he sighed. “I think I'd rather stay busy today.”

Aki sadly closed her book. She and Thorn had decided to stay nearby, more for moral support than anything. Yusei was much better, but it was obvious that all of this was still affecting him. He was still so sad, though not nearly as broken. Star let out yet another whine and laid her chin gently on Yusei's shoulder. Thorn was likewise watching him with the same concern. She understood what he meant though. She'd want a distraction too.

“Do you need me to come with you?” she asked. “I won't do anything to hinder you guys. I just thought-”

“Yeah,” Yusei replied quietly. “Thanks. I don't...want to be alone.”

Aki didn't point out that he wouldn't technically be alone if he was with these classmates of his. She understood what he meant. She was also a Signer, and she could understand what he was going through, at least more than they could at this point. She just nodded and grabbed her bag, shoving her school book back into it and her homework. She could work on this while he was working with these other friends of his. She quickly grabbed his bag as well and opened the door to the balconies outside. The weather was nice, and they were both dressed in their weekend clothes since school wasn't in session today.

Yusei was in the gloves, jacket, pants and shirt he had been in when he had been in the Satellite, which helped to calm him a little bit. It was familiar. Aki was wearing a pretty red jacket, long black fingerless gloves, skirt and boots with several different colored accents. It was her favorite, and before she had been enrolled here full time this year she'd worn it nearly constantly. Her father seemed to want to make up for his behavior by buying her clothing. Suddenly, Aki didn't seem to be able to hate her parents as much as she'd previously claimed anymore.

“Come on,” she called softly.

Slowly, Yusei stood and went outside where Star and Thorn took their dragon forms and leaped onto the side of the balconies as usual. Yusei only seemed to really respond to Star when she purred and offered him her hand. Aki helped him crawl up into it comfortably, though he didn't stand as usual. He still didn't quite seem to be all there right now, not that she could blame him. She was glad she was going with him now. She didn't want him to fall.

Aki leaped onto Thorn's offered talon and they quickly took to the air, making their way to the east commons. It seemed that people already recognized Star, and were pointing to her. As the two dragons landed in the middle of the commons where there was some room to, people moved out of Star's way and spoke quietly to one another. Aki leaped off and softly spoke to Yusei as Star lowered her hand to her, ignoring the stares.

“Come on,” she said gently. “Let's look for those friends of yours, okay?”

Yusei let her take his uninjured hand and pull him to his feet, though he still seemed rather distracted. No one said a thing as Aki began looking through the crowd. She didn't know which class Yusei had been talking about, or who she should look for to try and work on this project that they were doing. However two people came out of the crowd, a girl and her partner that Aki recognized but didn't know the name of, and Bruno, who had no memories. They both looked surprised and saddened as they looked at him.

“Yusei?” the girl called softly to him. He looked up at her.

“Hi, Lucy,” he said simply.

“What are you doing here?” Bruno asked.

“We said we were going to meet up and work on the Duel Runner,” he reminded him.

“Are you sure?” Lucy asked sadly.

“He pretty much insisted he come,” Aki pointed out quietly, glancing worriedly and sadly at her friend who still seemed out of it.

“Oh,” Lucy said, unsure of Aki's presence. “S-Sure, uh, let's go somewhere quieter.”

They turned and made their way to one of the parks on the outskirts of a lake, but no one tried to approach to talk to Yusei. They might whisper sadly as they passed, but they let him be. The group sat down in the grass, and to make Lucy more comfortable, Aki faced the other way as she sat down. To her slight surprise, she felt Yusei sit down with his back against hers. She said nothing and just reached over, grabbing her work and book again and letting him do this as he got out his own supplies to start their session.

Lucy, Sauske, and Bruno were surprised at this, and even more so when Star curled up against both Aki and Yusei's side (Yusei's injured one). She wasn't worried about Aki in the slightest, or Thorn when he sat against the other sides of the two. They were surprised to see the Black Rose Witch so gentle with anyone. They hadn't really thought it possible, but they supposed that Yusei wasn't exactly a normal kind of person. Reminded of what happened earlier, they quickly sat down facing him.

“Are you sure you're okay?” Bruno asked. “We can reschedule.”

“I'd rather be busy,” Yusei said quietly.

“A-All right,” Lucy said quietly. “If you're sure.”

“I am.”

An awkward silence seemed to fall over the four of them. Even Sauske, who was sitting behind Lucy seemed unsure what to make of Yusei's behavior. These classmates of his didn't really know him that well at all, but Aki knew it wasn't really possible that they would. They'd barely met this week. That's right...a week. No, not even technically that. How on Earth had so much possibly happened in one single week? And she wasn't even getting hit by the worst of it. Poor Yusei had already had to face more in his life time than she had in this one week.

Aki tried to concentrate on her homework. It wasn't much, just a bit of light reading and a paper for her literature class, and a small paper over it. Even so, she didn't think she'd be concentrating on it much. It really did seem like the whole world was falling apart now, and it wasn't like when she'd felt like she'd lost everything because of her psychic powers. Things were much worse now than when she had exaggerated the turn her life had taken. At least Aki still had her parents, and she still had the chance to make amends to them. Yusei was never going to get that chance.

“So uh,” Bruno finally said, pulling out a notebook and flipping open the pages. “I guess we should get started.”

Yusei finally seemed to respond a little, and Aki found it much easier to concentrate on her reading now that she could no longer follow the jargon that the three were suddenly throwing around. She couldn't help but be a little impressed that Yusei could even follow all of that, but then again, she wasn't entirely sure what they were even building. She supposed it had to be one of the advanced classes on campus, and she wasn't that surprised he was in one. He was smart.

Yusei's head hit the back of hers as he leaned back and heaved a tired sounding sigh, instantly getting Aki's attention again. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his uninjured arm, seeming to just close his eyes and think for a minute. No one seemed to say anything. Obviously, they'd run into some kind of problem that she hadn't been paying attention to. Bruno and Lucy both looked sorry to have caused the boy any more sort of distress, not that she could really blame them. Things were going bad enough as it was.

“It needs to be more aerodynamic,” Yusei sighed. “It won't stand up in the turns if it isn't.”

“Just look at Thorn and Star,” Aki reminded him, hoping to ease his load a little. “They're built to slice right through the air.”

“Hm,” Yusei said thoughtfully, still seeming to not be completely involved in the situation. “I guess. Would you guys mind…?”

Both dragons let out purrs as they moved, stretching out their enormous bodies and lowering their heads so the three students could get better looks at them. Yusei didn’t have any fears or problems running his hand down both dragon’s heads as he continued to work, saying a few things every now and then. Bruno, Lucy and Sauske were all glad that he seemed to be distracted at least, and Aki returned to silently reading her book. As more time passed however, it soon became obvious that there wasn’t much more they were going to be able to do.

Aki was a little surprised when her phone buzzed in her pocket, alerting her to the fact that Joey Wheeler had texted her. As she pulled out her phone and checked the message, she frowned a little. So he was getting a new student? She might have felt a little jealous of the fact, except that the name on the phone instantly caught her attention. Crow Hogan? Wasn’t that supposed to be Yusei’s other “brother”? Apparently Yugi was calling all of the students over to his house for some sort of meeting. She showed Yusei her phone, which made him frown a little in thought.

“Why now?” he asked, confusing Lucy and Bruno but making them glad to see him more responsive again.

“I don’t know,” Aki sighed. “But we’d better go. I don’t want to keep Kaiba waiting.”

“Kaiba?” Lucy asked in surprise. “As in Seto Kaiba?”

“Mhm,” Aki said distractedly as she stood and helped pull Yusei back to his feet. “Yugi’s called an important meeting, and we’ve got to go. Didn’t you hear? I have a private tutor, Joey Wheeler, and Yusei’s is Yugi Moto.”

“Then there’s Jack who’s teacher is Kaiba,” Yusei added after their stunned gasps. “And Luna and Leo both have Jaden as their private tutor.”

“But Joey’s taken on another student,” Aki said with a shrug. “Looks like Crow Hogan.” There was a sad pause at this.

“Hogan?” Bruno finally seemed to ask. “Wasn’t he…?”

“Yeah,” Yusei said quietly. A sad smile touched his face though. “But Jack, Crow and I were basically raised as brothers there in the Satellite. Its been a while since I last talked to him.”

“See you guys later,” Aki mumbled, jumping onto Thorn’s offered talon as Yusei pulled himself up into Star’s offered hand.

Yusei said nothing as they flew back to their dorms, both heading in to drop off what they’d brought with them to the park area and grabbing anything they might need to take with them, which wasn’t a lot. Soon they’d both met back up at the balconies, their partners leaping off into the air as they locked the doors. Soon another roar punctured the air, and Blaze, carrying a relatively calm Jack joined them. He said nothing but smiled sadly to Yusei as Blaze pulled up as close to Star as he dared. Star let out a purr.

“You’re lucky I have a license that will let me take you both,” Aki growled quietly. It was the closest to being kind of Jack she’d ever been, which didn’t go unnoticed.

“Thanks,” Jack replied quietly.

“Whatever.”

The rest of the flight was made in relative silence, nothing but the sound of the wind rushing by and the flapping of the dragon’s wings. Again, Yusei felt the mark on his arm give a pulse, not a painful one this time, just a comforting one. He let out a soft sigh. Right. He couldn’t dwell on what had happened. It was painful, yes, but there was nothing he could change about the past. He had to keep pushing forward, and make sure that nothing like the Zero Reverse ever happened again. Too many people had been hurt by that.

He could see Jack visibly relax as well when his own arm started glowing. Soon the glowing was gone, but as Yusei looked over at his older brother, he could see that he was now in a better mood, if not still rather quiet about all of it. The dragons soon reached Yugi’s house, landing carefully on the roof, where Yami in Yugi’s body was now waiting for them. He smiled at them all as they stepped off of their dragons and the large reptiles returned to their human forms. His face looked a little sad, but he seemed to be proud of all of them for how they were holding up.

He gave both boys a somewhat sad smile, motioning for them to come inside. There were few people inside, probably to give the poor kids from the Satellite some space. Anzu was running around as usual, trying to be a good hostess, and Merlin was silently helping her. Jaden was pacing around looking far more agitated than Yusei had ever seen him. His eyes were now an unsettling gold color, which seemed to have unnerved his young students, who had yet to see them enter.

Neos was also watching his Partner, rather concerned, though Yubel gave Yusei a sad smile when she saw that he and Jack had entered. Monarch and Quake were practically clinging to their partners, and Monarch and Luna both looked like they had been crying. Leo looked upset as well, and Quake didn’t look very happy either. Joey and Slash were standing in the room, trying to stay out of the way while giving a certain brunet and his dragon partner glares that were ignored. It was the last four people who caught Yusei’s attention as he came into the room though.

Two were people he’d seen before, obviously rather famous people. One was Seto Kaiba,a tall man who held himself with an important and confident bearing. His hair was brown and cut short, and his eyes were blue as well as icy. He was watching Jack and Yusei, looking very interested in him. However unlike every picture he’d ever seen of the man, or even the statue of him in front of Dragon’s Hollow, he looked sad.

Beside him was a tall young woman with long white hair that hung down nearly to the floor, even though it was braided into a thick mass behind her head. Her bangs were swept into the right side of her face, and her eyes were a bright blue color. She wore a white dress and white heels, and she walked confidently in them. Jaden of course, knew these two anywhere as well. This was the last pair of the Big Three, Seto Kaiba and the Blue Eyes White Dragon Eirwen. She smiled sadly at Jack and Blaze, who didn’t seem to respond much.

The last human was Crow, who was like one of Yusei’s older brothers (though he was the “middle” one and therefore younger than Jack). He was shorter than average, with orange hair which was spiked up and held up by blue headband that had two metal rings hanging off of it. He was paler than most people, and he was definitely under average height for his age. His eyes were a steely gray, full of mischievousness but still kindness. He also wore earrings with bolts hanging off of them.

Crow's face was covered in yellow prison marks, each on marking that he had gone to prison. The newest mark was a dot on the top of his forehead, on the right side. Beside that just slightly lower was an “M” shaped mark. The marks on his cheeks were mirrored. There were two lines zig zagging down his face, and two triangles that his eyes appeared to overlap. Each mark had a different code in it and the sentence he'd been given. They hurt, but he wasn't complaining. He wore each one proudly like a badge.

Next to him though, was a person Yusei had never seen before. Her chest was covered in a covering made completely of what appeared to be black feathers. She also wore a skirt made of the same feathers, though there were dark brown leggings beneath it. She didn't wear shoes, and she had black feathers forming a tiara on her head. She had long black hair that hung nearly to the floor behind her, contrasting her bright red eyes. On her right arm was a tattoo of red wings. He could tell from his book that she was a dragon, but not one he had ever seen.

Then again, weren’t all the Signers supposed to have dragons that went with them? No doubt, he was seeing the final Signer Dragon, especially if Crow truly was the last Signer. Yusei of course had no reason to distrust the Crimson Dragon’s word. It was such a gentle and truthful creature after all. Once again Yusei couldn’t help but wonder why the creature was that way. Either way though, it wasn’t telling him and he didn’t really mind because he knew it was a kind god.

The girl (another female dragon, great) noticed them first and turned her fierce eyes towards them. Star seemed to bristle nearly instantly in response, not exactly ready to fight, but not wanting to just stand there and watch her bristle at her already injured Partner. The two female dragons seemed to be sizing each other up, before the stranger finally seemed to relax and nodded to them. At this motion, Crow, who still looked rather worked up (for obvious reasons), but his face nearly instantly seemed to brighten upon seeing his two brothers.

“Been a while,” he said with grin. That quickly fell as he stepped forward and looked at Jack’s hand. Yusei looked down as well and frowned upon seeing the wound. “What did you do?”

“Punched a wall,” Jack mumbled.

“Bro,” Crow groaned. “That can’t be healthy. Knock it off.”

“Says the reject who went to prison so often,” Jack growled, though in a playful way. Crow just grinned again.

“Yeah,” he said. “Well apparently I’ll be going to a therapist for that. We don’t have anyone to deal with things like kleptomaniacs in the Satellite.”

“Well its about time,” Jack said with another growl.

Everyone looked really relieved to see that the three boys seemed much happier now in each other’s company (even Yusei, who didn’t usually show much facial expression). Crow’s partner carefully came over now, greeting Star with a wary growl but not seeming to feel offended when she got one in response. She could after all, see that Yusei was injured and they were Partners. Besides, she’d already heard quite a bit about her partner’s two “brothers” as it was.

“Oh right,” he said. “This is my Partner, Feather. She’s a Black-Winged Dragon.”

“This is Star,” Yusei said, also introducing his own Partner. “She’s a Stardust Dragon.”

The rest of the introductions were made as well, though Crow’s smile seemed a little forced. Feather purred to her partner, trying to calm him, again, but there was little else that could be done. Everyone else seemed kind of surprised that they were also so calm. There was still mourning etched into all of their faces, but they didn’t really seem to be nearly as heart broken as they should, as if they’d gone through several months of healing in a few hours. Even Jaden’s eyes seemed to soften as he saw the three standing together. Somehow the reunion was sadder than Yusei had thought it would have been, but everyone knew why.

The quiet conversation was quickly cut off as Yusei felt something small hit his leg and latch onto it. He looked down in surprise, to see that Luna was now crying into his leg, Monarch close behind and making soft cooing noises at him. Leo had done the same, except latching onto Jack’s leg. Both boys were understandably a little surprised by this, but Jack ruffled Leo’s hair gently as Quake made a sad whine at him. Yusei laid his hand as comfortingly as he could on Luna’s head.

It was almost a little funny, to think that he would be the one trying to comfort her when by all rights he probably should have been curled up in the corner today. It was such a big shock to actually see what had happened, but a relief too. Now everyone knew that his dad wasn’t a murderer, that he was the hero he had actually been. Now everyone knew that there was something bigger going on. Yusei let out a soft sigh though.

“Well,” Yami said as he walked into the room. “It seems like everyone is here now. Come on. Let’s go outside.”

The huge group slowly turned and made its way outside into the backyard with the huge pool in it. Yami’s calm and commanding gaze as always demanded obedience without having to ask for it, but it was a kind and understanding one as well. He quickly motioned all of the young Signers to the back wall, sending Merlin and Neos to guard the door in case any press decided to try and show up. With a quick glance around to make sure that everything seemed all right for now, he finally turned to address the crowd.

“All right,” he said with a sigh. “We’ve got some things to talk about. First of all, let’s clear something up. All of you that have Signer Marks, show them to us now.”

Yusei blinked in surprise at this, and he wasn’t the only one. It was so straightforward, and even though he should have expected it from Yami, it wasn’t something he was expecting to be asked about. A ripple seemed to run through his arm suddenly, as if the dragon were trying to talk to him, and he could feel the power rippling through his mind as the dragon urged them all silently to do so, to trust Yugi and Yami. The teen was almost surprised at this, except he had already known the dragon’s power would grow when all the signers were present. He pulled his uninjured arm out and slowly peeled the glove and sleeve away, revealing the dragon’s head.

The others soon followed suit, and their dragons each shivered, sensing the sheer power coming off the marks. Each of them took their true forms, causing Yusei to glance down the line of dragons, especially towards feather, whose legs clicked against the pavement audibly. Jack revealed the wings of the dragon, and Aki the back claw. Leo’s arm sported a tiny red heart, and Luna’s had the front claw. Lastly Crow revealed the dragon’s tail.

Nearly immediately, they all began to glow, as did the mark of the full dragon on Yusei’s back. All of the young signers jumped and stared down at their arms. Were they supposed to do this when all the signers were together? If so, how they heck were they supposed to stay hidden from their enemies? Star let out a quiet growl before shifting forward and hiding Yusei’s small form with her body and cupping her claws around him protectively. No doubt she was thinking along the same lines, and she didn’t want him to get hurt or targeted because he was he supposed leader of the group.

Even as the adults gathered here began to mutter about the marks and what they meant according to what Marik had found, the Crimson Dragon stirred. Its long body seemed to uncoil from Yusei’s mind and stretch across the space separating all of the signers. Even Yusei jumped as he was suddenly able to feel the minds of all the signers and their dragons within his own. The flood of information and emotion might have overwhelmed him, and he winced in surprise, but the Crimson Dragon’s coils protected them all from becoming too confused by it. Jaden’s golden eyes flicked towards them, missing nothing, and narrowed.

“ _ **Do not fear,**_ ” the ancient being called softly, purring to them in a familiar way. “ _ **This is a normal power of Signers, and one of the most easily achieved. While in close enough proximity, Signers can connect their minds, though to first achieve it, they must be extremely close together at the same time. I can teach you to control these powers, but we must take this all one step at a time.**_ ”

 _Wh-What?_ Yusei clearly heard Luna squeak.

 _Its okay,_ Yusei quickly said, his steady voice seeming to calm everyone and pause the mass of emotions. _This is the dragon god of the Signers. Think of us as his priests. This is the Crimson Dragon. He’s been...kind of sitting in my head for a while now._

 _Wh-What?_ Jack asked, probably sounding the most surprised he was ever going to. _He has? Why?_

“ _ **Because Yusei is my anchor,**_ ” the god chuckled, a sound that made the twelve relax despite themselves. “ _ **As I said, do not be afraid. I will not harm you. In fact, with all of you now gathered, my power has grown, as has my will to protect this world of yours. There are many questions you no doubt wish to ask, all which I will answer in time. There will soon be a need for me to train you all carefully in the ancient ways of the Signers, powers you will need to protect each other and the world. But for now, our conversation must cease. The king has noticed us.**_ ”

The dragon’s tone left no room for argument, and all the signers couldn’t help but look up. Everyone was still conversing, not seeming to have noticed the strange but short interaction as the children all slowly relaxed again. They were all suddenly aware of a pair of burning gold orbs lingering on all of them, slowly traveling down the line and watching. As much as Yusei was unsure of the power they had, and the change in the brown haired man’s behavior, he wasn’t scared. He knew he could trust Jaden, and he’d heard of his powers before.

Yusei’s logical thinking seemed to all calm the rest of the Signers, and they also began to relax under the man’s gaze, though they gave him a questioning look. Jaden’s eyebrows shot up in surprise at this. He knew he tended to scare people when he got like this, not that he could really blame them. The power of the Supreme King wasn’t exactly something that people liked. He scared them because of that power, because of the nature of his personality, because they couldn’t understand. But perhaps having a god supposedly telling them what to do, they were used to such things. None of them looked alarmed by his presence anymore. The twins even looked practically relaxed.

“So I suppose we’ve found all of them,” Kaiba said, shooting Joey a glare that almost asked him to try something right now. Joey bit his lip but didn’t verbally respond. “Yugi, do you know where Taylor is? Other than Marik, he was the one that was best with this kind of ancient thing, right?”

“Languages,” Yami reminded him. “Tristain is better at reading and speaking ancient languages. I haven’t really seem that much need to ask for his help, though I’m not entirely sure if that will change. Marik and Bakura are taking a day off. Unless we really need them, I’m not calling either of them.”

Yusei knew in passing who Kaiba had just mentioned. Tristan Taylor, a man who had been one of Yugi’s friends for a very long time. Like many of them, he had taken an interest in ancient cultures had begun studying how to read and even speak some dead languages of the world. It was interesting in a way, thinking that Kaiba was interested in that kind of thing. But Marik had pretty much given them the information they needed, as well as the translation. Joey finally didn’t seem to be able to hold his tongue and glared at the man.

“What do you need Tristan for anyway?” he asked with a growl. Kaiba’s eyes lazily flicked towards him.

“Nothing at the moment,” he replied. “I just have a feeling, that’s all.”

“Enough,” Yami said before a fight could actually start. Silence fell at the weight of his voice. “We’re not here to talk about that. Jaden has some information to tell all of us.”

The silence was unbroken as everyone turned to look at Jaden, whose eyes finally managed to leave the Signers to glance behind him at the group. Many people shifted nervously under his eyes, but the signers no longer seemed to mind, the glowing of their marks fading until they were gone. Yusei carefully replaced his arm and turned to watch the others with an expectant gaze. No one moved, too preoccupied with what Jaden was actually going to tell them to actually be that afraid. Besides, everyone knew and trusted Jaden.

“I visited Haou,” Jaden began as an explanation. “who’s basically the other half of the Supreme King. Being in the Shadow Realm, they’d noticed things about the Earthbound Immortals that we didn’t know.”

“I thought the Shadow Realm had seven levels?” Jack asked with a raised brow. Jaden smirked, a darker look passing his face.

“The old caste system was thrown out,” he said simply. “Anyway, Haou managed to learn about the names of the Earthbound Immortals and their Dark Signers. There’s the spider, Uru, who was the creature who made an appearance at the Zero Reverse…” Jaden’s voice turned bitter before he shook his head and continued. “There’s the giant, Ccapac Apu, the Humming Bird, Aslla Piscu, the Monkey Cusilla, the Lizard, Ccarayhua, the Orca, Chacu Challhua, and the Condor Wiraquocha Rasca. As I’m sure you’ve guessed, the numbers of Signers and their dragons are oddly close to matching this number, but the Earthbound Immortals and Crimson Dragon are said to be brothers.” He paused as the world seemed to rumble at the name of the creature gently. “That’s not the part that scares me though. Its the Dark Signers.”

Here Jaden seemed to pause and his eyes grew even darker, if that was possible. This time even Yusei shifted a little, sensing the fear that radiated from those ancient eyes. He could tell it made the others nervous as well. What could make a powerful creature like that so scared? What could make something like that become so broken and sad at the same time? He silently waited, all the Signers sensing the sorrow the Crimson Dragon felt. It knew what was coming next. It knew what was going to be said. And it wasn’t happy.

“The Dark Signers don’t have a choice,” the man finally growled out. “They’re killed to make a contract with the beast, and they’re often tricked into making this contract, or forced to. Once they’re forced to make a contract they’re basically stuck like that, and the only thing that can help them is a Signer.”

“So that means...” Yami said, looking as horrified as everyone else.

“That’s right,” Jaden growled. “they don’t have a choice. And they’re probably aware somewhere deep down what they’ve done. I wouldn’t be surprised if they can’t bring themselves to even fight against the Earthbound Immortals because of it.”

The silence spoke more than any words could in that instant.

* * *

 

To say that Jesse was surprised when he got a call from Jim Cook of all people would be an understatement. Especially when he asked to meet him somewhere where the two couldn’t be overheard during their conversation. Luckily he had a place in mind, but he wasn’t entirely sure why the man had contacted him after so long. He was glad to see his friend and his pet crocodile after so many years, but he hadn’t sounded this serious since the Supreme King had made an appearance just to fight off the king that had asserted himself onto the throne of the Shadow Realm. And that had only been on the phone for Pete’s sake! He wasn’t sure he was going to like what this conversation was about if that was the case.

Now the young man was standing in front of him, face bandaged and clothes pretty much how he remembered from their own days back in Duel Academy. The enormous and lively green crocodile was on the ground and looked up when they came in. Jim was sitting in the chair of Jesse’s office, staring at the wooden desk as if it would have some sort of answer for him. Bones, standing to the back of the room, purred in greeting Jesse and Glisten, which the female dragon returned with a smile on her face. Jim looked up and managed a smile for Jesse, though he could tell the man was ill at ease.

“What’s wrong?” Jesse asked, concerned for his friend.

“I think,” Jim began slowly. “You might want to sit down for this.”

Now even more concerned for the topic of their discussion, Jesse carefully pulled out his chair and across the desk and sat down in it, his eyes never leaving Jim’s face. Jim obviously knew that face as well. It was one that Jesse only reserved for when he was able to tell that people weren’t giving them the whole truth but realized he was about to get it. Jim wasn’t even sure where to start. Why had John wanted him to call Jesse now of all times? After everything that had just come to light? Where was he even supposed to start? He let out a sigh.

“All right,” Jim finally said. “There’s no sugar coating this or making it seem easier to believe, so I’ll just get right to it.” He took a deep breath. “I’ve been working with John Atlas and Robin Hogan for...some time now. They didn’t die in the Zero Reverse. They managed to escape, though they won’t tell me how. It seems to scare them. I’ve been working with them for a few years now. And with everything that’s come to light, they want to get their organization more involved and try and fix things. So we need help from the outside, more than just mine.”

Jesse’s eyes widened in surprise. It definitely wasn’t the shocked or disbelieving reaction that Jim was probably expecting, but he was incredibly happy. He knew Jim wasn’t one to lie, especially about something so important after everything the whole world had just learned. He and Glisten shared a surprised look, making Bones let out a whine of confusion at their reaction and making Shirley growl as she looked up. It wasn’t a frightening sound, but a thoughtful one. Jim’s brow raised as he saw Jesse turn to him with a smile.

“I’m glad to hear it,” he said. “You’re probably wondering why I believe you so easily, right? Well its because I’m working with someone too, and its about as believable as who I’m working with. So I’ll happily help you out. That’s what friends are for, right? You just have to be willing to let me tell someone else really important.”

“Who?” Jim asked, surprised.

“Hakase of course.”

Jim’s eyes were the one to widen now. Shirley raised her head and let out a sound not unlike a whine, obviously recognizing the name. Bones’s eyes lit up as well. Jesse just continued to smile, letting the information sink in for a minute as Jim sat there. Finally the Australian smiled at the American, almost looking a little sheepish as he chuckled at the absurdity of the situation. Who would have thought, after all of these years, they would have all found out that they were working together without knowing it, that some of their best friends were still alive.

“Of course,” he said. “I’ll trust anyone you do, Hakase too, you know that Jesse. Still...it seems kind of comical that after all this time...” his smile fell into a frown though as he looked up at him. “We...we can’t tell them their parents are alive, can we?” Jesse knew who he meant, and sadly shook his head.

“We both know they need to stay hidden,” he replied quietly.

Jim just nodded slightly, turning instead to let his fingers trail over Shirley’s head. The familiar motion calmed him a little bit, and he let out another sigh. Well, that had gone a lot better than he had thought it would have, and he was happier in knowing that Hakase had at least survived. No doubt, John would be elated to hear that his best friend was alive after all of this time as well. But even with as smooth as that had gone there was still one thing that he knew for certain.

Things were not going to be easier at all. Not by a long shot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well there we go. I finally updated this story. Parts of it feel a little rushed, but I purposely wrote it that way because Yusei and just about everyone else is pretty shocked and not really up to actually processing things. There you go! Things are moving together, and our story lines are starting to intersect. Do you know what that means? Shit’s about to go down! SO much fun! As always, hope you enjoyed.  
> To the person who asked if I could explain the way the language works, that’s part of the reason I’m bringing Tristan, the language expert, in later. Because I was planning on having him ask so I could explain it through Jaden, because Yusei would be fascinated by that.   
> Also, as I explained in “Eyes of Darkness”, I made Jesse American. I have a reason for it, but you’d have to read my explanation so far in that story to find out why. Basically, this is my AU so I do what I want.

**Author's Note:**

> Pact:  
> a formal agreement between individuals or parties


End file.
